Mahimahi, groupers, and other fishes generally take E. acutifrons enthusiastically. The size and motion advantages are the most important. This strategy can be inexpensively begun, and though not efficient in terms of water volume, there is little cost of human labor. Encouraging results have been observed with mahimahi and groupers. They add segments and appendages as they molt and grow.
Cultures usually contain all stages, but animals of a desired size can be harvested with screens.
Alternatively, one can screen out adults to start a culture that will produce a well-timed batch of nauplii. Chaetoceros alone can do well, as may the others used singly. It is possible that E. acutifrons could be grown on cheaply-obtained particles and later enriched. Several of our creative growers of freshwater ornamentals produce live feeds on a mixture of yeast and blender-ground flake feed. Other copepod species have begun to attract research attention for use with marine ornamentals, as reported by researchers from the University of Texas and Florida State University at the recent Marine Ornamentals '99 conference on the Big Island.