AS a potentially new source of valuable chitin and chitosan, cyst shell of Artemia urmiana was collected from the Lake Urmieh. The Chitin was extracted chemically in 4 steps of demineralization, deproteinization, delipidization and decolorization; then purified with NaCl and CHCOOH solution. The yield efficiency was 28±3 (w/w) % .The chitosan was prepared from chitin through deacetylation method using 50% sodium hydroxide solution (v/v) and 97% ethanol boiled for 4 hours, with a yield efficiency of 60±3% degree of deacetylation (DDA). Chemical structure and composition of chitin and chitosan were obtained by methods of CHN-O - analyzer, Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-Ray powder diffraction.According to results, chitin contained 7.6%N, 7%H, 48.6%C and its empirical formula was (C7.6.H12.36.No17.7)n. This results for chitosan was 7.6%N, 41.4%C, 6.7%H with empirical formula of (C6.27 .H11.29N1O28.4 ) n. It was concluded that chitin and chitosan could be produced in large amount from cyst shell of Artemia urmiana as a new source.

One of the most effective factors in artemia cyst production on the semi intensive fertilized ponds is the number of reproductive females and also the density of Artemia biomass on the basis of adults weight per liter of ponds water.In this study, the effect of reproductive female's abundance (Females/ lit-1) on cyst yields were assessed daily with ANOVA and Correlation Analytical Method.The results indicated that despite of few number of reproductive females (5 Ind/lit) and low Artemiadensity (0.1-0.15 g/ lit) on the culture ponds, the cysts yields at first two months of culture period (160 Kg.dw/ha) were more than the yields that harvested at three months later (47 Kg.dw/ha); despite of the higher reproductive female's abundance (more than 20 ind/lit) and a higherArtemia density (0.2-0.3g/ lit) during the last three months of cultur period, the cysts yields was declined. (Sig=0.000).

Nowadays, in larvae aquaculture used from live prey very application. Artemia decapsulated cyst was among aquafeed due to highly nutritive value, more digestibility and simple production such as the resource of important feed in rainbow trout larvae feeding. This research was carried out using of artemia decapsulated cyst replacement protein resources in trout rainbow larvae diet. In view of different levels of artemia decapsulated cyst on growth rate, feed intake and others characteristics of larva was done by a expriment base on completely randomized design. Experimental parameters were measured consist of growth rate (GR),daily weight gain, larvae length, feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed intake(FI)and survival rate. Data were statistically analyzed by MSTATC package and means comparisons by Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test. The treatments were consist of 5, 10,15,20,25 Percentage artimia decapsulated cyst and control treatment that contain of commercial diet. Three replication were marked in each treatment. This experiment was conducted on 1000 larva in fry tank with 18 hatching trough. Initial average weight for larva was 125±25 mg that for 40 days until one grams weight. The diets were formulated with UFFDA (1992) package with pay attention to Artemia constant values. The results showed that treatments 5% and 10% have had the best situation of daily weight gain with 28.54 ±7.29 and 28.85±7.28 mg among the others groups. This treatment was no significant difference with each other (p>0.05) and with others groups were significant difference (p< 0.05). The most measurement SGR and SR were 86.04±2.78 and 2.42 percentage for treatment 5% aremia decapslated cyst among other the groups. So that control treatment was the least daily weight gain with 28.12±6.32 mg. Feed intake in different biometry periods was statistically significant difference. With advanced time of experiment. From the second biometry data to experiment final the treatments 5 and 10% were the least feed intake and the most it’s related to treatment 15,20 and 25% respectively. Feed conversion ratio in treatment 5% was the best among the groups with 0.88 ±0.09 (p< 0.05). Consequently, Pay attention to weight and feed conversion among different groups, treatment 5% aremia decapslated cyst diet was the best treatment in larva rainbow trout. The most measurment SGR and SR were 86.04±2.78 and 2.42 percentage for treatment 5% aremia decapslated cyst among other the groups.

Because of the importance of Artemia in aquaculture industry, and the lake of Urmiana, in  political borders of Iran, which is the biggest natural habitat for this animal, some more investigations seems to be required. The calculated criteria showed the hatching rate of Artemia urmiana cysts in 6 different salinities, and 33ppt (suggested for other genuses) is the optimal for hatching operation of A. urmiana.

The objective of this study was to determine the best dose and time exposure of Maharloo Artemia cyst in sodium hypochlorite to achieve the highest hatchability rate in decapsulation process. After decapsulation, 2g cyct/L was exposed to 27ºC up to hatch for 24h. In the first experiment different doses of sodium hypochlorite include 8, 16, 24, 32 and 40 percent were used. The highest hatching percentage was observed in dose of 32 percent with 85.39±9% (P>0.05). In the second experiment, different time exposed to dose 32 percent of sodium hypochlorite including 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 minutes were studied. The best percentage hatching rate of 8 79.32±8 was achieved for 4 minutes (P<0.05). The results of this study suggest that putting Maharloo Artemia cyst in dose of 32 percent hypochlorite for 4 minutes can be reached to the best performance of hatchability for this species which could use for aquacultural purposes.

Artemia urmiana cyst shells collected, purified and dried from ashore of Rashkhan and Bozorgrah in the Urmia Lake in January and February 2002.According to the results obtained by standard methods of analyses the cyst shell contains: 4.8±0.5% lipid, 32±2% protein, 10.5±1.0% moisture, 0.5±0.2% haematin and 20.6±2.0% total ash.The chemical composition of ash are: Na2O 1.98%, MgO 1.14%, S03 6.82%, CI 3.23%, K20 2.12%, CaO 4.05%, Fe2O3 1.68%, Zn 0.05%. The chitin was extracted from Artemia cyst shells by using different methods of demineralizaion, delipidization, deproteinization and decolorization. The yield of extraction from cyst shells was 28±3%. Composition of chitin was determined by FTIR, X-Ray Powder diffraction and C.H.N.O analyser.Artemia urmiana cyst shell contains approximately about 28±3% percentage chitin.

In order to introduce the best strain of Iranian Artemia cyst to larvicultural feeding of aquatic animals, biometrical characteristics of Artemia cysts and newly hatched nauplii of four different geographical regions of Iran (Maharloo Lake, Fars province, Meyqan Lake, Central province Urmia Lake and Fesendooze pond West Azarbaijan province) were determined. Whole cysts and decapsulated cyst diameters, chorion thickness, dry weight and total length of newly hatched nauplii were measured under stereomicroscope equipped with Motic 2000 software MLC–150C, attached to a monitor. The obtained data were statistically analyzed by one way ANOVA and tested with multivariate Duncan test. The results showed that Artemia urmiana cyst has a significantly larger diameter and nauplius total length than the other cysts (P<0.05) (285.4±0.53 mm and 511.8±1.27 mm, respectively). Although the chorion thickness of the Meyqan cyst is higher than the others there are not any significant differences between them (P>0.05). The smallest cyst diameter (276.8±0.58 mm), nauplii total length (491.2±1.17 mm) and consequently the largest number of cysts per gram were obtained from Fesendooz. Due to the suitable size of Artemia samples for shrimp post larvae, ornamental and marine fish larval stage feeding it could be a good candidate for replacing imported expensive cysts.

Fungal and microbial contamination of Artemia cyst is possibly one of the important reasons for decreasing cyst hatching percentage and therefore one of the main problems in cyst processing and culture of Artemia. In this research in order to control of microbial contamination of Artemia cyst, Formaline (80ppm, 800ppm), Crystal violet (3ppm, 30ppm), Green Malachite (5ppm, 50ppm) and Sodium hypochlorite (400ppm) were used as disinfectant agents during hatching of cysts. The control group was received 35ppt water. The result obtained at the end of hatching (24 hours, 48 hours late), indicated that formaline 80ppm was the best agent in controling microbial contamination of cyst and significantly increased hatching percentage of Artemia urmiana cyst.

In an experiment to investigate the bio-excitatory effect of ozone gas on the hatching of artemia cysts, it was found that limited blown ozone gas has an effect on significant increasing of the hatching time of artemia cysts, though artemia cycsts are very resistant to ozone. The cysts hatching were done intitialy using 50, 35, 15, 10 and 5 mg of ozone blowing into one-liter containers that lasted for 15, 10, 5, 3 and 1. 5 minutes. The hatching rate of artemia for the experimental groups was equal compared to the control group without ozone during 36 hours of hatching (p. >0. 05). Analyzes showed that the using ozone reduced the hatching rate, all treatment groups had a significant reduction in hatching (p <0. 05) during 24 hours of hatching compared to the control. This reduction in hatching rates were compensated at 36 hours of hatching and became the same among all groups. With less ozonation rate of 2. 5, 5 and 10 mg. l-1 by blowing for 45 seconds, 1 and 3 minutes, respectively, it was observed that among the exprimental containers, 2. 5 mg ozone per liter blown at the beginning of hatching, had more significant hatching by about 93. 5% compared to the control (85. 5%).