This experiment was carried out in order to study the effect of rotifers,
Brachionus plicatilis, and encapsulated Artemia naup/ii as a live food on survival rate
and growth performance of gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata, larvae. Gilthead sea
bream larvae (20 days old) with 7.3 ± 0.20 mm/pce body length and 5.4 + 0.10 mg/pce
body weight were stocked in eight white fiberglass tanks (each of 1 m:r volume) at a
density of 1 ,200-larvae! tank. Four treatments were tested as following, 1) low rotifers
and low Artemia (LRLA); 2) high rotifers and low Artemia (HRLA); 3) low rotifers and
high Artemia (LRHA); and 4) high rotifers and high Artemia (HRHA) for 24 days. Low
and high rotifers were 5 and 25 (pcs/ml), respectively. Low and high Artemia were (50,
100, and 200 pcs/ml) and (250, 500, and1000 pcs/ml), during the periods 1§1-8J.!:L, 9Jh-
16Jh_ and 17.!b. -24.!b. days of feeding, respectively. The results showed that survival rates of , S. aurata, larvae significantly (P~
0.05) improved with the application of the experimental program by feeding mixture of
high levels of rotifers and Artemia. Feeding a mixture of higher levels of rotifers and
Artemia increased survival rate (48.96 %), however, the lower levels of both resulted in
lower survival rate (12.17) % of , S. aurata larvae. Other intermediate treatments of
HRLA or LRHA resulted in improvements in survival rates (19.08 and 32.21) %
respectively) of .S. aurata ,larvae. Growth performances of, S.aurata, larvae (gain in length and weight; average daily
gain in length and weight; and specific growth rate, SGR %) were significantly (P .::. 0.05)
increased with increasing the levels of live food from both rotifers and Artemia .The,
results clearly showed the superiority of the higher levels of live Artemia in enhancing
the growth performances criteria of, S. aurata, larvae than rotifers. Finally it could be
recommended a suitable live food program containing a mixture of rotifers and Artemia
to improve the survival rates of, S. aurata, and larvae.