developmental stages and developmental time in laboratory conditions. Cost-effective techniques for breeding, growth, development of O. similis and relevant micro algal feed production were ascertained by suitable experiments. The results revealed that the span of life cycle stages of O. similis after fertilization lasted for 23 days. The life cycle had five naupliar stages such as: N 1 – 1 st day; N 2 – 3 rd day; N 3 – 5 th day; N 4 – 8 th day and N5 – 10 th day. The naupliar stage was followed by six copepodid stages (C 1 – 12 th day; C 2 – 14 th day; C 3 – 16 th day; C 4 – 19 th day; C 5 – 21 st day; C 6 – 23 rd day) and a single pre-adult stage in the laboratory conditions. Maximum survival of 30% copepodids was attained during 23 days of rearing in culture flasks of 1l capacity provided with micro algal diet size <5µ.
[Keywords: Experimental culture, Oithona similis, developmental stages, larval morphometry]