Tubifex worm as live feed in Aquaculture

1. TUBIFEX WORMS
WEERASURIYA W.A.M.B
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2. TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Annelida
Class Clitellata
Order Oligochaeta
Family Tubificidae
Species T. tubifex
Genus Tubifex
Binomial name Tubifex tubifex12/22/2020 2

3. MORPHOLOGY
Long, slender , no distinct
head
Body segments ranged
34 -120
There are many species; most
are red
Eyespots absent
That may grow up to 20 cm
in length
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4. a. First segment showing
triangular prostomium (P)
a
b. Segment bearing anus
b
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5. c. Second segment showing
periostomium (Pe)
d. Setae in dorso-lateral position
(HC- hair setae, PC- pectinate setae)
c d
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6. e.Setae in ventro-lateral position
(BC- bifid setae)
e
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7. TUBIFEX WORMS AS LIVE FISH FEED
Can feed
• Juveniles
• Varieties of ornamental fish
• Prawns
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8. TUBIFEX WORMS PROXIMATE COMPOSITION
Components % dry matter
protein 50-60 ( min)
Fat 10 (min)
Fiber 2-5 (max)
Moisture 4 (max)
Phosphorous 0.1 (max)
Ash 0.1 (max)
Protein amino acid mg/L
Lysin 12.0
Histidine 9.1
Argenine 8.1
Alanine 11.7
Specially known for amino
acid availability
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9. Tubifex contains much protein and is rich on fat
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10. • Tubifex is hermaphroditic, each individual has both male (testes) and
female (ovaries) organs.
• These minute reproductive organs attached to the ventral side of the body
wall in the ceolomic cavity and are clearly seen in mature specimens.
• In mature specimens, the reproductive organs are clearly found on the
ventral side of the body.
REPRODUCTION OF TUBIFEX WORMS
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11. • Male and female organs mature at different times; thus self-fertilization is
avoided, and cross fertilization is encouraged .
• Two mature Tubifex worms undergo copulation by joining their ventral and
anterior surfaces together with their anterior ends pointing opposite directions.
• Sperms of one worm are passes into the spermathecae of the other worm by
penial setae of one Tubifex worm.
COPULATION AND COCOON FORMATION
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12. • After copulation, Tubifex worm separate and begin to produce egg cases
(cocoons) containing eggs in clitellum.
• The case contains both sperms and ova. After fertilization several eggs are
formed in the cocoon.
• Fertilized eggs undergo development in the cocoon by utilizing the
albuminous nutritive fluid for growth.
• Period of development varies with temperature and lasts for 2 to 3 weeks.
After complete development, young worms come out of cocoon.
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13. Reproductive system of Tubifex tubifex
The cocoon
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14. CULTURE OF TUBIFEX WORMS
Tubifex mass culture in
container: Prepare Tubifex
bed with 50-75 mm thick
mud
Obtain Tubifex
worm
Inoculate Tubifex
worms in the
container of
Tubifex bed
Collect the
Tubifex
Clean and remove
the residual mud in
the worm
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15. Rectangular plastic containers
Collecting muds
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16. TUBIFEX WORMS COLLECTION
• For collection of worms the places containing dense populations should be selected.
• Upper layer of soil mud in Tubifex worms should be removed by hand or by shovel and
collected in a bucket.
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17. • A heap of collected mud should be placed on a hapa-material with surface area 9–10
square feet and small-particle fractions of mud should be washed out trough a fine mesh
size material with continuous rinsing (shaking) cloth in water.
• This procedure can be done most effectively by two workers standing opposite to each
other.
Harvesting tubifex worms
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18. Harvested tubifex worms
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19. DRAWBACKS OF TUBIFEX WORMS
• Transmitting Parasitic Diseases
• Can still be vectors for Whirling Disease.
• Established as a pest Precautions
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• Lack of tubifex worm purity

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References
Mandall, R. N., Kar, S., Chakrabarti, P. P., Chattopadhyay, D. N., Paul, B. N., Adhikari, S., ... & Pillai, B. R. (2018).
Production of tubifex-a new dimension of aquaculture in feeding juvenile fish. Aquaculture Asia Magazine, 22(3), 19-22.
Marian, M. P., & Pandian, T. J. (1984). Culture and harvesting techniques for Tubifex tubifex. Aquaculture, 42(3-4), 303-315.
Goldstein, R. J., Harper, R. W., & Edwards, R. (2000). American aquarium fishes (No. 28). Texas A&M University Press.
Oplinger, R. W., Bartley, M., & Wagner, E. J. (2011). Culture of Tubifex tubifex: effect of feed type, ration, temperature,
and density on juvenile recruitment, production, and adult survival. North American Journal of Aquaculture, 73(1), 68-75.
Reynoldson, T. B., Rodriguez, P., & Madrid, M. M. (1996). A comparison of reproduction, growth and acute toxicity in two
populations of Tubifex tubifex (Müller, 1774) from the North American Great Lakes and Northern Spain. In Aquatic
Oligochaete Biology VI (pp. 199-206). Springer, Dordrecht.
Gilbert, M. A., & Granath Jr, W. O. (2001). Persistent infection of Myxobolus cerebralis, the causative agent of salmonid
whirling disease, in Tubifex tubifex. Journal of Parasitology, 87(1), 101-107.
Rodriguez, P., Martinez-Madrid, M., Arrate, J. A., & Navarro, E. (2001). Selective feeding by the aquatic oligochaete
Tubifex tubifex (Tubificidae, Clitellata). Hydrobiologia, 463(1-3), 133-140.

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