EVALUATION OF CULTURE METHODS FOR TWO MARINE BAITFISH SPECIES, PINFISH, Lagodon rhomboides, AND PIGFISH, Orthopristis chrysoptera By MATTHEW A. DIMAGGIO A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2012 1 © 2012 Matthew A. DiMaggio 2 To my wife, my best friend 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The following study would not have been possible without the help of numerous individuals. I thank Meghan Anderson, Audrey Beany, Eric Cassiano, Kelly Chang, Shawn DeSantis, Scott Grabe, John Marcellus and Lindsay Onjukka for their tireless assistance throughout the course of numerous experiments. I recognize Dr. Todd Sink for his assistance with physiological evaluations and Dr. Frank Chapman for use of vital laboratory instrumentation. I would like to especially thank Jason Broach for all of his hard work and contributions to this research over the last two years. I express my gratitude to my committee members, Drs. Denise Petty, Chuck Adams, Shirley Baker and LeRoy Creswell for their continued guidance and support of my graduate education. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my advisor and friend Dr. Cortney Ohs for allowing me the latitude and resources to pursue my varied research interests over the last six years. His experience and insight has been a valuable resource throughout this process. To my parents, who taught me the value of hard work and sacrifice, I am grateful. I also thank my family for their encouragement throughout my educational endeavors. Finally, I thank my wife who has been by my side for the last 10 years. Without her love and support I would not be the person I am today. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ 7 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... 9 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 13 2 INDUCED VOLITIONAL SPAWNING AND LARVAL REARING OF PINFISH, Lagodon rhomboides .............................................................................................. 17 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 17 Methods .................................................................................................................. 18 Pinfish Broodstock Acquisition ......................................................................... 18 Induced Spawning ............................................................................................ 19 Egg Incubation ................................................................................................. 20 Larval Rearing .................................................................................................. 21 Results .................................................................................................................... 23 Discussion .............................................................................................................. 24 3 CAPTIVE VOLITIONAL SPAWNING AND LARVAL REARING OF PIGFISH, Orthopristis chrysoptera .......................................................................................... 30 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 30 Methods .................................................................................................................. 31 Pigfish Broodstock Acquisition and Acclimation ............................................... 31 Spawning and Egg Incubation .......................................................................... 32 Larval Rearing .................................................................................................. 33 Results .................................................................................................................... 36 Discussion .............................................................................................................. 37 4 EVALUATION OF OVAPRIM AND HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN DOSES ON SPAWNING INDUCTION AND EGG AND LARVAL QUALITY OF PINFISH, Lagodon rhomboides .............................................................................. 43 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 43 Methods .................................................................................................................. 46 Broodstock Acquisition and Conditioning ......................................................... 46 Ovaprim® Dose Evaluation .............................................................................. 47 HCG Dose Evaluation ...................................................................................... 50 5 Water Quality .................................................................................................... 51 Statistical Analysis ............................................................................................ 51 Results .................................................................................................................... 52 Ovaprim Dose Evaluation ................................................................................. 52 HCG Dose Evaluation ...................................................................................... 56 Discussion .............................................................................................................. 59 5 EVALUATION OF OVAPRIM AND HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN DOSES ON SPAWNING INDUCTION AND EGG AND LARVAL QUALITY OF PIGFISH, Orthopristis chrysoptera ......................................................................... 76 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 76 Methods .................................................................................................................. 79 Broodstock Acquisition and Conditioning ......................................................... 79 Ovaprim® Dose Evaluation .............................................................................. 80 HCG Dose Evaluation ...................................................................................... 83 Water Quality .................................................................................................... 84 Statistical Analysis ............................................................................................ 84 Results .................................................................................................................... 86 Ovaprim Dose Evaluation ................................................................................. 86 HCG Dose Evaluation ...................................................................................... 89 Discussion .............................................................................................................. 92 6 EFFECT OF STOCKING DENSITY ON GROWTH, SURVIVAL, AND STRESS PHYSIOLOGY OF PIGFISH, Orthopristis chrysoptera ......................................... 105 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 105 Methods ................................................................................................................ 106 Small Scale Stocking Density Experiment ...................................................... 106 Large Scale Stocking Density Experiment...................................................... 108 Water Quality .................................................................................................. 110 Statistics ......................................................................................................... 111 Results .................................................................................................................. 111 Small Scale Stocking Density ......................................................................... 111 Large Scale Stocking Density ......................................................................... 112 Discussion ............................................................................................................ 113 7 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 123 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 127 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .......................................................................................... 134 6 LIST OF TABLES Table page 2-1 Percentage of larval pinfish, Lagodon rhomboides, observed to have inflated swim bladders and percentage that exhibited notochord flexion from 12 – 21 DPH. ................................................................................................................... 26 3-1 Percentage of larval pigfish, Orthopristis chrysoptera, observed to have inflated swim