Culture of Marine Ornamental Fishes with Reference to Production Systems, Feeding and Nutrition
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' -~~... --- Culture of Marine Ornamental Fishes with reference to Production Systems, Feeding and Nutrition G. Gopakumar Regional Cen re of Central Marine Fisheries Research Instiwte, Mandapam Camp, Tamil Nadu, India Cora] reefs support o,rer 4000 species of fish, During the past few years the Omrra] Marine about 800 species of reef building corals and a Fisheries Research Institute has in ensified its great number of 0 her invertebrates and sponges. research ,on breeding, seed production and culture' The omiUllen al animals are the highest value technologies for marine ornamental fishes. One of added product that can be harvested from a coral the milestones in this progr-amme .is the recent reef. TJle annual global marine ornamental trade success in the hatchery production technology of is estima oed at US $ 200 - 330 million_ Unlike downfish. Ano her significant achievement is in freshwa er Ornamentai species wher~ over 90% of the seed production of sea horse. Expe.rimenta1 the species are produced in [anns, almost the success was also obt ained on the brood stock entire ornamental species in the trade are collected development and larval rearing of five species of from the coral reefs and adjacent habitats. Hence damselfishes. the long t.erm sustain ability of the industry is a Production Systems controversial aspect. The damaging techniques such as the use of sodium cyanide are non-selective Hatchery Production of Clownfish methods used to ca:pture Ush and it adversely Clownfishes continue to be the most de am ,cts the health of the fish and also kills tJl.e non manded marine tropical fish and the technologies target organisms. The over~harvesting of targe available at present on marine ornamental fish organisms .is another asp@ct of concern. Th@ breeding a f~ mainly centered around downfishes. ultimate solution to a long term sustainable t.rade There are 27 known clownfish species. They are of marine ornamental flshescan be achieved only distinguished and taxonomically separated from through the dev~lop ment of cuiture technologies. o her damsel fish by thei dependence on At present tank reared species contribute only 1- anef!lones for protection. They are further 2% of the trade. Culture of marine ornamental fish distinguished from other damsels by their Jarge is well accepted ,as an environmentally sound way capsule- shaped eggs and large jarvae at hatch. to increase the supply of such. organisms by Their swimming pattern onsists of exaggerated reducing the pressure on wild populations and lateral fiuxures and alternating padtllipg of th,eu 'producing juvenile. and mark(!t size of a wi.de pectoral fins. downfishes are distributed through. valiety of species year round. [n ,addition, hatchery out the Indo-West pacific region. Anemonefish as produced fLsh are hardier whidl fare bet er in their name defines, live. in a mutualistic relation captivity tUld sw'vive longer. The lis of marine ship with anemones. In na.ture, selection of omamental fishes reared in captivity today the preferred anemones is species specific. Primary world over contains more than 84 spe t~s . But bendits to do-wnfish from anemone association are the species that can be reliably reared in large protection of the pair, their nests and a. portion quantities indude only dozen anemone fishes , of their progeny from predation. The fish achieves seven species of gobiids, five species of cardinal protection from stinging of anemones by means fishes and eight species of pseudochromids. of the development of a .specia! external mucus layer. Clown.fish appear to be monogamous, In India, till recently much attention was not pairing for life. There is also a possibility that focused on the culture of marine ornamental fishes. some species may be polygamous. Age of the fish is the most important factor Behaviour is another criterion for selecting determining sexual maturity. Sexually matured males and females from adults ·or sub-adult fish. adult clownfish are usually 9-18 months old. While The best way to use behaviour is by introducing selecting or establishing a pair, it is not advisable one adult after another to the tank. With net in to purchase or use full grown adult fish. Firstly hand, lower the new introductions slowly into the adult clownfish in good condition will be costly. aquarium and let them go into the aquarium water. Secondly the fragile characteristics of newly Stand back and observe for about 15 minutes. captured adult clownfish make them a high risk. They will either accept each other or start to fight While selecting possible pairs or purchasing fish each other. A good possible pair will act basically for pairing, it is best to buy sub-adults. Sub-adults gentle. Even though you have established a do not form immediate pairs or fully display adult possible pair, then~ is a strong possibility of colouration, but they will quickly adjust and rejection later in the day or at night. Henc:e when mature in good environmental conditions. using the introduction pairing technique make it Eventhough they are younger than adult pairs, start early in the morning and make continuous, they will only take about 3-6 months for initial r'outine observations throughout the day. Estab spawning. A distinct advantage when pairing lished, dominant individuals often seem to respond clownfish is their ability to change sex. The best instinctively and without provocation, and often and easiest approach in pairing clownfish is injure the newly introduced fish. Hence it is better purchasing 3 or 4 fish of equal size, 2.5 to Scm to put both fish in new environment. Placing both in total length. Put all the fish in one established in a new environment greatly reduces dominance aquarium with no other fish. Since sex reversal of established individuals and puts both fish on is prevalent in clownfish, they simply decide which a more equal basis. Placing both fish on an equal will become the male and which will become the basis often helps to slow down the initial female. Eventually, two fish will tend to stay instinctive aggressive behavioUl: lWo fe males will together, chase others from specific areas, and often accept each other and hence it is confusing attempt to destroy others. Sometimes a pair will to find out whether we have a pair or not. Test accept and allow a few smaller individuals to the possibility of two females within a pair, split remain in a reserve situation. Utilization of reserve the suspicious pair, and introduce a known male. fish is a unique adaptation in clownfish. When Usually within a very short time you will receive the female of a pair dies, the original male will fertilized eggs. Since there is no way that two become female and one of the reserve fishes will females can reverse their sex and form a become the new male. Within a pair, the female productive pair, it is better to stop trying to get is usually the first to die. Colouration can be used the biggest fish for making a breeding pair which for sexing many species of clownfish. Colour may be probably two females. differences are found only on sexually matured adults. Conditioning the fish is a prerequisite for spawning any fish. Conditioning is a term used Size can be another criterion determining to describe the utilization and manipulation of a males and females of many species of clownfish. combination of environmental factors to induce In general females are largest individuals. In older gonadal maturation and spawning. The factors established pairs, size differences between a male may include light intensity, light duration and and female are not very conspicuous. Under possibly wave length, emperature, water current, aquarium conditions, these fishes are maintained water quality, nitrogen, phosphate. ammonia, p Ro under ideal environmental parameters, receive type of food, tank size and shape, ~ration and food ad libitum and grow at about equal pace. habitat. As they reach sexual maturity, tank-raised individuals normally show more dimorphic size Broodstock diets are virtually the main keys differences. to successful spawning. Eggs contain considerable lipids which are high and long lasting energy dominant role. Although both tend the nest, the resources needed for the protracted development male becomes the real caretaker. He intermittently of the embryos within the eggs. These deposits fans the nest with his caudal or-pectoral fins. He are resf!rves to be incorporated within th~ eggs also cleans the eggs by gently mouthing them and provide energy to the female during her without removing them. Dead and fungal infected fasting period. Hence suitable diets and enough eggs are routinely removed and eaten. Substrate food must be fed to the broodstock fish. If brood around the nest is also often cleaned. While a nest stock fish are not properly fed. the results are is present, males do not feed aggressively. The directly reflected in the number of eggs laid. male spends an average of 30-60% of its time fertilization rate. hatch rate and the quality of during the day for tending the nest. Fanning the hatched larvae. Poor quality eggs develop slowly. eggs is frequent on the day after spawning and hatch late and often result in significant early diminishes considerably about mid way in the larval mortalities. Conditioning food should be incubation period. On the day of hatch, fanning administered routinely to the brood stock clownfish increases again. Nest will be located on any hard three times a day - early in the morning, noon surface. Placing substrates usually helps to and around 5 O·clock. minimize spawning on the sides of the tank. Dirty spawning substrates should be avoided since it From larvae to sexual matudty and spawning makes nest location harder to detect.