Composition and Content of Fatty Acids in Artemia Cyst (Artemia spp.) from Lakes of Southern Siberia as an Indicator of Biochemical Value for Fish Feed

For the first time, the composition and fatty acid content of Artemia spp. cysts from three hypersaline lakes in Southern Siberia were analyzed. The fatty acid composition of decapsulated Artemia cysts varied significantly between the studied water bodies. It was found that the cyst profiles from Lakes Cheder and Dus-Khol corresponded to a “marine” type, while those from Lake Tus corresponded to a “freshwater” type. An assessment of the biochemical value, including the content of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, the ratio of n-3/n-6 fatty acids, as well as hatching rates (hatching efficiency up to 135 thousand specimens/g, the proportion of hatched nauplii up to 85%), allowed us to recommend cysts from Lake Cheder as a promising source for the production of live feed for aquaculture.