Artificial Propagation of Mutton Snapper Lutjanus Analis, a New Candidate Marine Fish Species for Aquaculture
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JOURNAL OF THE Vol. 29, No. 2 WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY June, 1998 Artificial Propagation of Mutton Snapper Lutjanus analis, A New Candidate Marine Fish Species for Aquaculture WADE 0.WATANABE', EILEENF? ELLIS,SIMON c. ELLIS,JUAN CHAVES AND CHRISTINEMANFREDI Caribbean Marine Research Center, 805 East 46th Place, Vero Beach, Florida 32963 USA RANDOLPHW. HAGOOD,MARIA SPARSIS AND STEVENARNESON Atlantic Aquaculture Technologies, Inc., 4600 Taylor Dairy Road, Fort Pierce, Florida 34951 USA Abstract Wild-caught mutton snapper Lutjanus analis, a high-value marine food fish species, ma- tured in flow-through seawater (36 &) tanks after 3 yr in captivity. On 31 May 1995, a female with a mean oocyte diameter of 382 pm was injected with human chorionic gonado- tropin (HCG) (500 IUlkg body wt.) followed 24 h later by a second injection (1,OOO IUkg body wt.). At the time of the second injection, three males were injected with HCG (500 IU/ kg body wt.). Voluntary spawning occurred 33 h after the first injection, with a total of 534, 781 eggs released. Fertilization rate was 75.7%, while average diameter of fertilized eggs was 783 pm. Embryos were stocked in a 30-m3 outdoor tank at a density of 10.5L. On day 2 post-hatching (d2ph), larval density was 8.61 larva&, and average notochord length was 2.6 mm. Larvae were fed ss-type rotifers from dl-d28ph, Artemia nauplii from d7-d38ph, and artificial diets (52-48% protein) from d24-d38ph. On d38ph, fish averaged 0.308 g and 22.2 mm standard length. Survival (from d2ph) was 14.3%, with a total of 36,900 post-metamor- phic juveniles produced. On d97ph, 1,390 hatchery-reared juveniles (avg. wt. = 10.5 g) were stocked into two 14.5-m3 recirculating seawater tanks (695 fish/tank; 48 fish/m3) and fed a 56% protein pellet. After 168 d, fish averaged 140.8 g, with a survival rate of 97.8% and a feed conversion ratio (dry wt./wet wt.) of 1.2. These preliminary results reveal the mutton snapper to be a prime, new candidate species for commercial cultivation. The mutton snapper Lutjanus analis (Fig. Adults have an attractive body conforma- 1) is an important food fish species in the tion and color: olive above the lateral line, tropical western Atlantic (Bortone and Wil- white with a reddish hue below, with red liams 1986), with distribution ranging from fins and blue spots around the eye (Bohlke New England to southeastern Brazil, in- and Chaplin 1993). cluding the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mex- A carnivorous species, the mutton snapper ico (Bohlke and Chaplin 1993). Juveniles feeds on fishes and crustaceans (Randall and small adults are found in shallow areas 1967) and is considered one of the most de- near mangroves and grass beds (Mueller et licious saltwater fishes to eat. The mutton al. 1994), while larger adults may be found snapper resembles and is often marketed as in deeper waters on the continental shelf. L. the red snapper L campechanus (Robins and analis is a large snapper that grows to near- Ray 1986); taste and appearance are indistin- ly 30 inches (76 cm) in length and 25 guishable between these species once filleted. pounds (1 1.4 kg) in weight (Mason and In the early 1900s, mutton snapper was Manooch 1985; Bohlke and Chaplin 1993). commonly sold at fish markets in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida (Mueller et al. 1994). However, overfishing of shelf-edge I Corresponding author's present address: Center for Marine Science Research, The University of North spawning aggregations have led to a major Carolina at Wilmington, 7205 Wrightsville Ave., Wil- decline in landings in recent years, with a mington, North Carolina 28403 USA. collapse of the commercial fishery in some 0 Copyright by the Wnrld Aquaculture Society 19YX 176 ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION OF MUTTON SNAPPER 177 FIGUREI. Adult mutton snapper Lutjanus analis. (C. Munfredi photo). locations off Florida and Cuba (Gulf of Materials and Methods Mexico Fishery Management Council Induced Spawning 1992). Relatively little is known about the reproductive biology and early life history This study was conducted at the Carib- of this species. bean Marine Research Center on Lee Snappers belonging to the family Lutjan- Stocking Island (Exuma Cays), Bahamas idae (i.e., lutjanids), including the man- (23"45'N, 76"lO'W) and at Atlantic Aqua- grove snapper L. argentimaculatus and culture Technologies, Inc. in Vero Beach, John's snapper L. johni, command high Florida from May 1995 to February 1996. market prices in Southeast Asia and are cul- Fifteen sub-adult mutton snapper L. analis tured in floating net cages and brackish- (0.30-0.78 kg; 28-39 cm TL) were trapped water ponds in Singapore, Indonesia and in waters off Lee Stocking Island from the Philippines (Emata et al. 1994). Supply May-August 1992. Fish were maintained of seed for farms depends entirely on wild under ambient photoperiod and temperature fry, which is limited and unreliable (Lim et in an outdoor, 15-m3 flow-through seawater al. 1985; Singhagraiwan and Doi 1993; (36-38 g/L) tank supplied with aeration and Emata et al. 1994) and therefore a major covered with two layers of 70% light-oc- constraint to the sustainability of snapper cluding cloth. A commercially prepared aquaculture in these regions. (Zeigler Bros., Pennsylvania, USA) striped Given a premium value, high demand, and bass grower diet containing 38% protein or the over-exploitation of natural populations, frozen squid and fish were provided daily the mutton snapper was selected for evalua- to satiation. tion as a potential aquaculture species in the In May 1995, ovarian maturity of brood- U.S. In this report, results of preliminary tri- stock was assessed by biopsy (Shehadeh et als on artificial propagation, including hor- al. 1973), A polyethylene cannula (1.52- mone-induced spawning of captive brood- mm o.d., 0.86-mm i.d.) was inserted into stock, culture of larvae through metamorpho- the oviduct of an anaesthetized (100 mg/L sis, and growout of juveniles in a recirculat- tricaine methane sulfonate) female, and a ing culture system, are described. sample of gonadal tissue was removed by 178 WATANABE ET AL. oral suction as the cannula was withdrawn. pressed as percentages of total eggs and of The samples were fixed in a solution of buoyant eggs. 10% formalin in seawater. Using a com- pound microscope fitted with an ocular mi- Larval Culture crometer, the diameters of at least 100 oo- Between 1 June and 10 July 1995, sur- cytes were measured to the nearest 50 Fm, vival and growth of larval mutton snapper, from which a mean and standard deviation from egg to metamorphic stages, were stud- were calculated. Developmental stage of ied under pilot-scale hatchery conditions. oocytes was assessed from microscopic ap- The rearing unit consisted of an outdoor, pearance (Kuo et al. 1974). In males, ma- above-ground, rectangular tank (7.5 X 4.5 turity was assessed by the presence or ab- X 0.90 m = 1 X w X d; volume = 30 m3), sence of milt when gentle pressure was ap- constructed of framing lumber, lined with plied to the abdomen. Fish were weighed black, high-density polyethylene. The tank and measured (total length = TL; fork was enclosed by a translucent polyethylene length = FL) after sampling. At the time of greenhouse with a 70% light-occluding this study in May 1995, sex ratio was 8 cloth cover. Light intensity at the water sur- female: 5 male: 2 undetermined. Females face measured between 0800 h and 1500 h ranged from 1.15-2.08 kg and 46-50 cm was approximately 7,000 to 12,000 lux. TL (38.4-44.5 cm FL), while males ranged Aeration was provided from a blower from 1.22-1.93 kg and 43.2-47.5 cm TL through six nylon tee connectors (used in (40.3-45 cm FL). lieu of airstones) spaced equidistantly On 31 May, hormone-induced spawning throughout the tank. A minimum level of was attempted in a female (1.79 kg; 49.5 aeration for dispersion of eggs and larvae cm TL, 46 cm FL) with mature, vitellogenic was used (Ellis et al. 1997). stage oocytes and a low percentage (2.7%) Fig. 2 summarizes the feeding regimen used during the pilot-scale trial. One week of atretic eggs. To induce spawning, human prior to the spawning, the rearing tank was chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) (Sigma filled with unfiltered seawater and fertilized Chemical Co., St. Louis, Missouri, USA) with ammonium phosphate (50 g), mono- was used in a series of two intramuscular potassium phosphate (15 g). urea (2.5 g), injections. A first (priming) dose of 500 IU/ Fe-EDTA (7.5 g). and trace metal mix (0.5 kg body wt. was administered at 0600 h g) (Oceanic Institute, Honolulu, Hawaii, followed 24 h later by a second (resolving) USA), then inoculated with the microalga dose of 1,OOO IUkg body wt. At the time Nunnochloropsis oculutu (150 X lo3 cells/ of second injection, three males were also mL) and, after 5 d, ss-type rotifers Bru- injected with HCG (500 IUkg body wt.) to chionus plicutilis (1 individudml). On the stimulate spermiation. Spawners were re- day of spawning, fertilized eggs (approxi- turned to the original broodtank for spawn- mately 1-2 h post-fertilization) were ing trials. stocked into the rearing tank at a density of After spawning, eggs were collected 10.5 eggs/L. from the water surface using a fine mesh Larvae were fed ss-type rotifers until day dip net and transferred to three 500-L in- 28 post-hatching (d28ph) (Fig.