Water Fleas to the Rescue: Cladocerans as Climate-Smart Live Feed for Sustainable Aquaculture and the Blue Economy

Abstract

Healthy fish seed is the foundation of every successful aquaculture operation, yet the first days of larval life remain the hardest to get right. During this window, larvae need live prey of the correct size and quality, and hatcheries have long met that need with imported brine shrimp (Artemia), an increasingly costly and uncertain input. This article makes the case for a locally available alternative: the cladocerans, chiefly Moina and Daphnia. These freshwater water fleas reproduce rapidly, tolerate demanding conditions, and supply protein, essential amino acids, fatty acids, and digestive enzymes that match the needs of young fish and shrimp. Several traits suit them to a warming, less predictable climate. They can be reared on organic residues such as poultry and cattle manure, converting farm waste into feed, and Daphnia forms hardy resting eggs (ephippia) that survive drought and heat and can be stored like seeds. Because culture units are small and low in energy use, they fit backyard and small-scale hatcheries. Cladoceran live feed therefore connects productivity, climate resilience, and rural livelihoods within India’s aquaculture roadmap toward Viksit Bharat 2047.