Because of convenience in production and their suitable biochemical composition,
brine shrimp Artemia spp. nauplii have been adopted as a standard diet in the commercial
larviculture of several crustacean species. The nutritional value of Artemia, however, is not
constant, but varies both geographically and temporally. During the past decade both the
causes of Artemia nutritional variability and methods to improve poor-quality Artemia have
been identified. Enriching Artemia spp. with emulsified lipophilic products is a technique that
has allowed delivery of extra doses of essential nutrients, for example, highly unsaturated fatty
acids (HUFA) and vitamins, to crustacean larvae. The enrichment technique has limitations,
however, because the Artemia spp. currently available selectively catabolize some of the
nutrients such as docosahexaenoic acid and phospholipids. Decapsulated Artemia cysts,
juveniles, and adult brine shrimp are also used increasingly as suitable diets for different
crustacean species.