Chile Wokshop, November 2003Larval food (Artemia), larviculture and ecotoxicology group

(UE partner 4)

Members: Dr. Francisco AmatDr. Francisco HontoriaDr. Juan Carlos NavarroDr. Inmaculada VaróÓscar MonroigGermán MedinaOlga Ruiz

Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la SalConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas12595 Ribera de Cabanes (Castellón)SPAIN

Brine shrimp Artemia franciscana as exotic invasive species in the Western Mediterranean and its dispersal by water birds

Brine shrimp in Argentina

Brine shrimp in Tunisia

Brine shrimp in India

Brine shrimp Artemia franciscana as exotic invasivespecies in the Western Mediterranean and its

dispersal by waterbirds

Francisco Amat, Francisco Hontoria, Olga RuizInstituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal (CSIC). 12595 Ribera de Cabanes (Castellón). Spain.

Marta Sánchez, Andy Green, Jordi FiguerolaEstación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC). Avda. Mª Luisa, s/n. Pabellón del Perú. 40013 Sevilla. Spain.

Francisco HortasGrupo de Conservación de Humedales Costeros. Departamento de Biología. Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales. Apdo. 40. 11510 Puerto Real (Cádiz). Spain.

Brine shrimp species autochthonous from the Western Mediterranean

Artemia salina (bisexual):Spain, Italy, Morocco, Algeria, Lybia, Tunisia(Eastern Mediterranean: Cyprus, Egypt).

Artemia parthenogenetica (diverse ploidies):Spain, Italy, France, Morocco(Eastern Mediterranean: Turkey, Greece, Egypt).

diploid Artemia parthenogenetica

tetraploid A. parthenogenetica

A. salina (bisexual)

diploid Artemia parthenogenetica

tetraploid A. parthenogenetica

A. salina (bisexual)

Previous reports on Artemia franciscana presence in the Western Mediterranean

Hontoria et al. (1987) Ensayo de caracterización de cepasautóctonas de Artemia de Portugal. Seminario sobre Aquacultura. Publicaciones del Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas. Porto. Portugal. 10 pp.

Narciso (1989) The brine shrimp Artemia sp.: an example of the danger of introduced species in aquaculture. ESA Special Publication, 10: 183-184.

Thiery and Robert (1992) Bisexual populations of the brine shrimp Artemia in Sète-Villeroy and Villeneuve salterns (Languedoc, France). Int. J. Salt Lake Res., 1: 47-63.

Amat et al. (1995) Biogeography of the genus Artemia (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Anostraca) in Spain. Int. J. Salt Lake Res., 3: 175-190.

Materials and Methods

Artemia sources:• Artemia cyst bank available at the Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre

de la Sal: 130 cyst samples from Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, North Africa (1980-2003).

• Artemia cyst bank at the Artemia Reference Center, University of Ghent (Belgium).

• Artemia cyst samples recovered from waterbird faeces and pellets.

Specific adscription through hydrated cyst biometry.

Specific adscription through adult specimen morphometry (cultured under standard conditions). Multivariate discriminant analysis and morphological data base.

Specific adscription through PCR-RFLP analyses on part of the mitochondrial genome (INCO collaborative research CSIC-AUTH).

Locality Samplingdate

Cyst diameter (µm) ObservationsMicro C.C. C.C.(*)

ALGARVE ProvinceFaro. San Francisco 1980-81 243 236 238 N.H.Marina Bias salterns 1987 246 248 ---- N.H.Olhao salterns 1985 247 ---- 259 N.H.Tavira salterns 1985 240 ---- ---- N.H.Olhao salterns 2002 253 ---- ---- A. franciscanaFaro. Ludo salterns 2002 245 ---- ---- A. franciscanaCastro Marim salterns 2002 250 ---- ---- A. franciscana

SADO EstuaryBatalha salterns 1986 236 ---- ---- N.H.P.Sado salterns 1987 248 ---- ---- N.H.Olhos salterns 1986 262 ---- ---- N.H.Cachopos salterns 1987 276 ---- ---- N.H.Rio Frio salterns 1993 228 ---- ---- A. franciscanaBonfim salterns 1996 224 ---- ---- A. franciscana

TEJO EstuaryAlcochete salterns 1988 259 256 266 N.H.Boavista salterns 1987 258 260 ---- N.H.Marina Nova salterns 1987 264 273 ---- N.H.Marina Velha salterns 1987 ---- 276 ---- N.H.Providencia salterns 1987 ---- 276 ---- N.H.

AVEIRO DistrictEsmolas salterns 1985 266 (**) ---- 263 A. parthenog. (d)Esmolas salterns 1991 249 ---- ---- A. franciscanaEsmolas salterns 1993 248 ---- ---- A. franciscana

Table 1. Artemia cysts samples available from Portugal, mean diameter of cysts and taxonomical adscription. Micro.: cysts diameter measured with micrometer eyepiece. C.C. cysts diameter measured with Coulter Counter. C.C.(*): idem (Hontoria, 1990).

(**) Vieira (1990). N.H: No hatching cysts. (d) A. parthenogenetica diploid.

Locality Samplingdate

Specific composition

SPAIN Huelva ProvinceEsteros Odiel saltern 06. 2002 A. parthenog. (d): 97 % A. parthenog. (t): 3 %

SPAIN CADIZ ProvinceN.S. del Rocío saltern 01. 2002 A. parthenog. (d): 98 % A. salina (bisex.) 2 %El Estanquillo saltern 01. 2002 A. franciscanaEl Pilar saltern 06. 2002 A. franciscanaSan Pascual saltern 02. 2003 A. franciscanaLa Dolores saltern 02. 2003 A. franciscana

MOROCCOLaguna Mar Chica saltern 06. 2000 A. parthenog. (d): 80 % A. franciscana: 20 %

FRANCESete-Listel saltern 05. 2002 A. franciscanaAigues Mortes saltern 06. 2002 A. parthenog. (d): 2 % A. franciscana: 98 %

Fos saltern 05. 2002 A. franciscana (p. s.)Pesquiers saltern 05. 2002 A. franciscana (p. s.)Hyère saltern 05. 2002 A. franciscana (p. s.)Thau Castelan saltern 05. 2002 A. franciscana (p. s.)

Table 2. Artemia populations obtained in the laboratory from cysts samples collected in SouthwesternSpain, North of Morocco and Southeastern France, and their relative specific composition wheredifferent species or strains did appear. A. parthenog. (d): Artemia parthenogenetica (diploid); (t): tetraploid; (p. s.): alcohol preserved original specimens.

Locality Samplingdate

Cyst diameter

Observations

VENETO ProvinceComacchio salterns 1985 278 N.H.

APULIA ProvinceMargherita di Savoia salterns 1988 258 A. parthenogenetica (d): 67 %

A. parthenogenetica (t): 33 %

“ “ 1988 267 A. parthenogenetica (d): 22 %A. parthenogenetica (t): 78 %

LACIO ProvinceTarquinia salterns 2002 243 A. salina

SICILIA ProvinceIsola Longa salterns 1985 245 N.H.

SARDINIA ProvinceCagliari salterns 1988 254 A. salinaCarloforte salterns 1987 251 N.H.

“ “ 1988 256 A. salinaA. parthenogenetica (d) < 1 %

San Antioco salterns(ARC. 579)

? 255 A. salina

Santa Gilla salterns 1994 253 A. salina

Table 3. Artemia cysts samples available from Italy. Mean diameter of cysts (µm) measured with micrometer eyepiece. Relative specific composition where different species or strains did appear. (d): Artemia parthenogenetica diploid, (t): tetraploid.

N. H. No hatching cysts. ARC 579: Artemia Reference Center cyst bank sample

Cagliari

Great Salt Lake

San Francisco Bay

El Estanquillo

Rocío (P)

Odiel (P)

Odiel (T)

Rio Frio

Bon Fim

Aigues Mortes

Olhão

El Pilar

Rocío (B)

Carloforte (B)

Tarquinia

recovered from Cadiz Bay waterbird pellets

Margherita di Savoia (T)

Aigues Mortes (P)

Margherita di Savoia (P)

Carloforte (P)

Delta del Ebro

Santa Gilla

Trapani

Bonmatí

La Mata (B)

Sant'Antioco

Pétrola

Añana

La Mata (P)

Calpe

Aveiro

Sète San Pascual

La Dolores

Mar Chica

First discriminant function

-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8

Seco

nd d

iscr

imin

ant f

unct

ion

-4

-2

0

2

4

4 2

4

2

4

A

2

2

4

A

A

AA

A

A 2

2

2

2

4

A

A

A

A

A

A

2

4 A

A

A. salina

diploid A. parthenogenetica2

tetraploid A. parthenogenetica4

A. franciscanaA

Females

2

4

A

Great Salt Lake

Cagliari

El Estanquillo

Rio Frio

Bon Fim

Aigues Mortes (B)

El Pilar

San Francisco Bay

Olhão

Rocío (B)

Tarquinia

Carloforte (B)

Mar Chica

Sète

La Dolores

San Pascual

Aveiro

Sant'Antioco

Santa Gilla

Trapani

Bonmatí

First discriminant function

-4 -2 0 2 4 6

Seco

nd d

iscr

imin

ant f

unct

ion

-2

0

2

4

A

A

AA

A

A

A

A

AA

A

A

A

A

A. salina

A. franciscana

Males

A

Diploid Artemia parthenogenetica

Tetraploid A. parthenogenetica

A. salina (bisexual)

A. franciscana (bisexual)

Diploid Artemia parthenogenetica

Tetraploid A. parthenogenetica

A. salina (bisexual)

A. franciscana (bisexual)

Total S S with cysts

Total cysts S producing nauplii

Total nauplii

Castro Marim

Redshank Tringa totanus faeces 36 36 2340 36 647

Redshank pellets 31 30 815 26 224

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa faeces 30 27 830 18 42

Cadiz Bay

Redshank faeces 9 0 0 0 0

Redshank pellets 55 25 92 24 63

Dunlin Calidris alpina faeces 103 8 11 1 1

Table 4. Number of samples (S) of faeces and pellets collected from different waterbirds and localities, and the quantities of Artemiacysts extracted and of viable nauplii hatched.

S with cysts S with only A.

franciscana

S with only A.

parthenog.1

S with both taxa

Total A. franciscana2

Total A.parthenog.1

Castro Marim

Redshank faeces 36 35 1 6 522 (267) 10

Redshank pellets 30 22 3 1 180 (96) 4

Godwit faeces 27 11 6 1 24 (14) 10

Cadiz Bay

Redshank pellets 25 0 14 1 1 (0) 40

Dunlin faeces 8 0 1 0 0 1

Table 5. Number of samples (S) of faeces and pellets collected from different waterbirds and localities that contained cysts of different Artemia taxa, and the numbers of adult Artemia reared after hatching cysts. Note that not all nauplii hatched from cysts survived to the adult stage that permitted species identification, thus the numbers of samples containing each Artemia taxon may be underestimated.

1 the diploid form, all individuals are females.2 all individuals were sexed, the number of males is given in parentheses

Nº of samples

Nº cysts per sample Nº nauplii per sample1 % cysts2

hatching

mean ±s.e.

range mean ±s.e.

range

Castro Marim

Redshank faeces 36 65.0 ± 13.1 6 - 379 18.0 ± 3.3 1 - 98 33.3 ± 2.5

Redshank pellets 31 26.3 ± 6.9 0 - 160 7.5 ± 2.7 0 - 62 25.8 ± 4.2

Godwit faeces 30 27.8 ± 14.9 0 - 447 1.6 ± 0.4 0 - 8 12.4 ± 2.7

Cadiz Bay

Redshank pellets 55 1.7 ± 0.3 0 - 13 2.5 ± 0.4 0 - 8 68.8 ± 5.9

Dunlin faeces 103 0.1 ± 0.04 0 - 2 0.1 ± 0.1 0 - 1 12.5 ± 12.5

Table 6. Number of Artemia cysts collected from different waterbirds and localities, the numbers of viable nauplii produced and the proportion of cysts producing nauplii.

1 For samples with at least one cyst (see Table 4 for N).2 Mean ± s.e of % of cysts that produced nauplli from those sample with at least one cyst.

y = 59.1 - 6.97 x

1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 4,0 4,5 5,0 5,5 6,0 6,5

loge (Nº cysts)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

% c

ysts

hat

chin

g

Attributes of the invasive species specially present in Artemia franciscana

(Ehrlich, 1984; Lodge, 1993; McMahon, 2002)

Ability to function in a wide range of physical conditions. Muchgeneric variability or phenotypic plasticity: euryhaline (tolerance to different ionic brine composition) and eurythermal.

High competitive abilities: short generation time, rapid population growth, high fecundities, small offspring size, balanced ovovivi-parism/oviparism reproduction:

A. franciscana > A. parthenogenetica > A. salina

Associated with human activities: aquaculture and pet market.

High dispersal rate of the cysts: anemochory and zoochory.

Artemia in Argentina

Francisco Amat, Francisco Hontoria, Juan Carlos Navarro, Inmaculada Varó, Olga Ruiz, Germán MedinaInstituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal (CSIC). 12595 Ribera de Cabanes (Castellón). Spain.

R. Graciela Cohen, Julieta GoenagaDepartamento de Biología. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Argentina.

Collaborative research ICI-AECI Spain-Argentina, and INCO CSIC-UBA.

Distribution of A. persimilis and A. franciscanapopulations in Argentina

Artemia franciscana is present North of 36º S and A. persimilis is present South of 37º S, and at 49º 18’ S in Puerto San Julián(Santa Cruz Province).

Geographical proximity with Chilean A. persimilis populations in Laguna Amarga (Torres del Paine National Park – 50º 29’ S) and Laguna de los Cisnes (Isla Grande, Tierra del Fuego – 53º 15’ S).

Morphometrics of cultured and preserved adult males and females obtained from original cysts, or collected in situ, allow to venture the presence of A. franciscana in seven localities, and A. persimilisin 25 localities.

FEMALES

First discriminant function

-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8

Sec

ond

disc

rimin

ant f

unct

ion

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3A. franciscanaA. persimilis

Callaqueo

Palos Blancos

Piedras

Salina Chica

Colorada Chica Hidalgo

Pedro LuroCisnes

Laguna Amarga

Vidriera

El Inglés

GualichoSan Antonio

Algarrobo

Luzzetti

Winchel

Colorada Grande

Caleta Olivia

San Julián

Rada TillySalitral Negro La Pava

Villalonga

R3 km2035Cerro Pancho

Great Salt Lake

Pichilemu

Atacama

LlamaraLos Vilos

Manaure

San Francisco Bay

Cabo Rojo

AncashPiura

Yapes

Tunas

Mar ChiquitaGuantánamo

Oaxaca

San Quintín

Chimus

Las Cumaraguas

Hípico

Grossos

Coche

Yallahs

Yavaros

Salinas GrandesCelestun

Pampa de la Salina

Santiago del Estero

San Luís Potosí

A. franciscanaA. persimilis

First discriminant function

-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6

Sec

ond

disc

rimin

ant f

unct

ion

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

MALES

Salinas Grandes

San Antonio

Algarrobo

Luzzetti

Piedras

Villalonga

Winchel

Great Salt LakeHidalgo

Grossos

Oaxaca

Cabo Rojo

San Francisco

Ancash

San Quintín

Chimus

Hípico

Guantánamo

Las Tunas

Coche

Las Cumaraguas

Mar Chiquita

Salina ChicaColorada Chica Callaqueo

Pedro Luro

Cisnes

YallahsYavaros

Celestun

Gualicho

Pampa de la SalinaEl Inglés

VidrieraPalos Blancos

Santiago del Estero

Colorada Grande

Rada Tilly

Salitral Negro

San Julián

Caleta Olivia

La Pava

Cerro Pancho

Laguna Amarga

Ruta 3 Km 2035

San Luís Potosí

Country/Province Population Coulter Counter Mean (in µm)

Standard Deviation

Microscope Mean (in µm)

Standard Deviation

Argentina Cordoba

(A. franciscana) Mar Chiquita 219.7 14.1 219.8 14.6 Salinas Grandes - - 229.4 12.6 Las Tunas 249.9 17.8 241.6 16.0

La Pampa (A. persimilis) Hidalgo 246.1 21.0 244.9 12.9

Callaqueo 234.3 17.4 242.9 12.2 Colorada Chica 234.5 12.5 - - Salinas Chicas - - 238.9 10.7 Colorada Grande 234.3 18.4 242.5 14.2 Salitral Negro (2s) - - 243.6 11.7 Salitral Negro (3s) - - 244.8 12.3

Buenos Aires (A.persimilis) Piedras 227.9 14.8 232.5 14.8

Vidriera 240.5 18.0 238.1 11.4 Villalonga - - 242.5 17.0 Luzetti - - 244.5 16.4 Wilches - - 228.7 12.6 Algarrobo 230.1 21.0 228.8 12.1 El Inglés 246.8 16.8 251.8 14.7 Palos Blancos 234.6 20.2 231.0 10.8

Country/Province Population Coulter Counter Mean (in µm)

Standard Deviation

Microscope Mean (in µm)

Standard Deviation

Argentina Rio Negro

(A. persimilis) San Antonio - - 249.5 14.5 Gualicho - - 239.6 14.2

Chubut (A. persimilis) Rada Tilly - - 240.4 12.2

Santa Cruz (A. persimilis) Caleta Olivia - - 246.2 14.6

La Pava - - 240.5 15.1 Ruta 3 km2035 - - 241.2 14.0

San Julián - - 237.1 15.6 Cerro Pancho - - El Caburé - - - -Chile

(A. persimilis) L. Amarga(PNTP) 250.9 18.7 - - L. Cisnes (TF) 237.5 21.3 - -*A.persimilis cyst diameter mean (microscope): 240.6µm (6.4); range 228.7-249.5µm. *A.persimilis cyst diameter mean (C.Counter): 237.6µm (7.6); range 227.9-250.9 µm.

Bioecological characterization (life-span) of Argentinean A. persimilis (Hidalgo) vs. A.

franciscana (Mar Chiquita)

Nauplii of both populations were reared to adulthood under different conditions of temperature and salinity.

All combinations of temperature (12, 21 and 28ºC) and salinity (30, 60, 90 and 120 gL-1) were assayed.

21ºC

SALINITY ‰

30 60 90 120

SUR

VIVA

L %

0

20

40

60

80

100

28ºC

SALINITY ‰

30 60 90 120

SUR

VIVA

L %

0

20

40

60

80

100

A. persimilis vs A. franciscana12ºC

SALINITY ‰

30 60 90 120

SUR

VIVA

L %

0

20

40

60

80

100

A. persimilisA. franciscana

FECUNDITYA.persimilis vs A.franciscana

12ºC

SALINITY

30 60 90 120

FEC

UN

DIT

Y

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

A.franciscanaA.persimilis

21ºC

SALINITY

30 60 90 120

FEC

UN

DIT

Y

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

28ºC

SALINITY

30 60 90 120

FEC

UN

DIT

Y

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

GROWTH RATE

21ºC

TIME

4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

LEN

GTH

(mm

)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

A. franciscana 12ºC

TIME

4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

LEN

GTH

(mm

)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14 28ºC

TIME

4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

LEN

GTH

(mm

)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

30‰ 60‰ 90‰ 120‰

28ºC

TIME

4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

LEN

GTH

(mm

)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

30‰ 60‰ 90‰ 120‰

21ºC

TIME

4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

LEN

GTH

(mm

)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

A. persimilis12ºC

TIME

4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

LEN

GTH

(mm

)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

28ºC

TIME

4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

% M

ATU

RE

FEM

ALES

0

20

40

60

80

100

21ºC

TIME

4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

% M

ATU

RE

FEM

ALES

0

20

40

60

80

100

SEXUAL MATURITYA. persimilis 12ºC

TIME

4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

% M

ATU

RE

FEM

ALES

0

20

40

60

80

100

SEXUAL MATURITYA. franciscana 12ºC

TIME

4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

% M

ATU

RE

FEM

ALES

0

20

40

60

80

100

21ºC

TIME

4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

% M

ATU

RE

FEM

ALES

0

20

40

60

80

100

28ºC

TIME

4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

% M

ATU

RE

FEM

ALES

0

20

40

60

80

100

30‰60‰90‰120‰

A. persimilis always showed high mortality at low salinity (30 gL-1).

A. franciscana always showed low survival at the low temperature (12ºC), but survived better than A. persimilis at 21º and 28ºC.

A. franciscana always showed higher fecundity rates than A. persimilis.

A. persimilis showed higher growth rates than A. franciscana at all temperatures.

A. persimilis showed sexual maturity earlier than A. franciscana at 12ºC. For the other temperatures the sexual maturity occurred at the same time in both species.

In both species the increase of temperature is associated to an increase of survival and growth rates, and to a decrease of pre-reproductive period and maturity fulfilment.

OVOVIVIPARITY-OVIPARITYvs

Chl a and ORGANIC MATTER

TIME

nov dic ene feb mar abr may jun jul

% O

VOVI

VIPA

RIT

Y-VI

VIPA

RIT

Y

0

20

40

60

80

100

Chl

a ( µ

g/L)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

0.00

0.01

0.02

0.03

0.04

0.05

OVOVIVIPARITYChl aORGANIC MATTER

OR

GA

NIC

MA

TTER

(mg/

ml)

O2 (mg/l)

T (ºC) S (‰)

mean (sd) max min mean (sd) max min mean (sd) max min

Sep-02 6.03 (2.05) 9.81 4.50 20.7 (6.0) 24.6 15.6 60 (17.0) 68 54

Oct-02 4.01 (0.91) 5.30 1.98 17.9 (1.6) 20.2 15.0 77 (7.0) 87 65

Nov-02 3.67 (0.88) 5.60 2.19 13.0 (2.1) 16.5 9.7 88 (2.0) 90 85

Dec-02 4.40 (0.52) 5.14 3.62 10.7 (1.1) 12.5 8.9 91 (2.0) 93 88

Gen-03 6.48 (1.89) 8.73 3.73 7.4 (2.8) 11.9 2.8 89 (3.0) 90 85

Feb-03 5.01 (0.80) 6.74 3.52 8.3 (1.9) 10.5 3.5 97 (2.0) 100 95

Mar-03 5.28 (0.56) 6.03 4.51 13.0 (1.6) 15.3 9.6 101 (6.4) 110 90

Apr-03 3.87 (1.16) 5.28 1.93 15.9 (3.0) 19.9 9.4 94 (6.7) 105 83

May-03 5.17 (0.92) 6.16 3.31 21.3 (1.8) 23.2 17.8 79 (3.5) 85 75

Jun-03 3.51 (0.53) 3.86 2.35 26.1 (1.1) 27.7 24.6 99 (1.9) 100 95

Jul-03 4.72 (1.35) 7.15 2.68 27.6 (0.9) 29.2 26.3 111 (7.0) 120 95

Aug-03 3.63 (0.46) 4.18 3.05 26.0 (1.5) 28.8 23.5 142 (9.5) 150 125

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS

FATTY ACID PROFILE OF ARGENTINEAN Artemia CYSTS

A prospection on the fatty acid composition of the total lipids from the following cyst samples is in progress: MAR CHIQUITA (CO, A. f) PALOS BLANCOS (BA, A. p) LAS TUNAS (CO, A. f) SALITRAL VIDRIERA (BA, A. p) HIDALGO (LP, A. p) EL ALGARROBO (BA, A. p) SALINAS CHICAS (LP, A. p) SALINA PIEDRAS (BA, A. p) CALLAQUEO (LP, A. p) SALINA EL INGLES (BA, A. p) COLORADA CHICA (LP, A. p) SAN ANTONIO (RN, A. p) COLORADA GRANDE (LP, A. p) EL GUALICHO (RN, A. p) SALITRAL NEGRO 2 (LP, A. p) CALETA OLIVIA (SC, A. p) SALITRAL NEGRO 3 (LP, A. p) SAN JULIAN (SC, A. p) Their characterization aims to establish the freshwater or marine type of these cysts according to:

• Taxonomic species: A. franciscana vs A. persimilis • Latitudinal distribution • Endorheic or litoral ecosystems

This is the first attempt to a broad PUFA profile characterization of cysts from different A. persimilis populations. CO: Province of Córdoba; LP: Province of La Pampa; BA: Province of Buenos Aires; RN: Province of Rio Negro; SC: Province of Santa Cruz. A. f : Artemia franciscana A. p : Artemia persimilis

Mutant depigmentedeyes, not sex linked, found in A. persimilis

Brine shrimp in Tunisia. INCO collaborative research CSIC-INAT

Three autochthonous Artemia populations from Tunisia: El Adhibet, Sijoumi and Sahline were characterised morphometrically as Artemia salina (= A. tunisiana).

Cyst and nauplius biometrics, as well as several life-span traits were established comparatively to other Mediterranean Artemia salina populations.

Brine shrimp in India. INCO collaborative research CSIC-IART

Six samples of Artemia cysts were afforded from India.

Puthalam cysts showed the exclusive presence of an autochthonous parthenogenetic strain (diploid or triploid?).

Thamarikulam cysts (suspected parthenogenetic) did not hatch.

Vembar, Veppelodai, Arasaradi and Theraspuran cysts, presumably a mixture of autochthonous parthenogenetic strain andintroduced American brine shrimp, showed the exclusive presence of A. franciscana (outcompeting exotic invasive species).