LATE STAGE EMBRYOLOGY AND LARVAL
REARING OF PORKFISH, Anisotremus
virginicus: CANDIDATE SPECIES FOR
COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION
Eric J. Cassiano, Matthew L. Wittenrich, Christine E. Creamer,
Gary C. Violetta, and Craig A. Watson
University of Florida
Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory
1408 24th Street S.E.
Ruskin, FL 33570
Rising Tide Conservation Initiative
• SeaWorld Parks and
Entertainment (2009)
• Research facilities,
industry partners, public display aquaria
• Create a platform that promotes the
dissemination of information on marine
tropical fish aquaculture
• RTCI stakeholder
– Explore production
protocols for target species
– Transfer protocols to related species
AZA Conservation Endowment Fund
• Eggs collected from AZA institutions around USA
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Columbus Zoo
Florida Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium
Henry Doorly Zoo
SeaWorld Orlando
Shedd Aquarium
Steinhart Aquarium
Virginia Aquarium
• Evaluated at TAL
Paul Rinehart & Ramon Villaverde, Columbus Zoo
Kim Hall, GA Aquarium
SeaWorld Orlando
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Floor display
~95,000 L (~25,000 gal)
~13 species
Large specimens
Subdued lighting
• Limited surface access
• Net placed in overflow
• Transported (~1.5 hrs)
– 5 gallon bucket
– Light aeration
Observational Larviculture
• Various tank sizes
– 13 L tanks / 560 L burial vaults
• Assorted live feeds
– Microalgae: Live (T-ISO) / Paste
– Rotifers / Copepod nauplii
– Wild zooplankton
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Light: Natural / Artificial
Voracious eater
Exhibited fast growth
Hardy larvae
Porkfish, Anisotremus virginicus
• Family: Haemulidae
• W. Atlantic (FL - Brazil),
GOM, Caribbean
• Commonly collected for
public display aquaria
• ‘Species of Interest’
– Rising Tide, SWOR, Industry
• Gregarious reef species
• Grazes ectoparasites
First Feeding Trial - Design
• Recirculating system = Twelve 13 L tanks
• Stocked at 30 eggs/L (% composition)
– Two types: Distinct size difference
• Incubation in larval system
– Photograph development
(SigmaScan Pro 5.0)
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Oxolinic acid treatment
Artificial light (24L:0D)
T˚= 28.3±0.3; Sal= 32.9±0.8
3 days post hatch (dph)
– Light water flow
– Gentle aeration
First Feeding Trial - Design
• First feeding diet (2-6 dph)
– Rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis)
– Copepod nauplii (Acartia tonsa)
Live Feed (#/mL)
2 dph
3 dph
4 dph
5 dph
6 dph
Rotifers
2.0
5.0
5.0
5.0
8.0
Copepods
1.0
2.5
3.0
4.5
4.8
• All tanks provided:
– Isochrysis galbana (T-ISO) 2-13 dph
– Rotifers 7-13 dph, Artemia 10-15 dph
• Survival, growth (SL, BD) at 15 dph
– Total count
– 20 larvae photographed (SigmaScan Pro 5.0)
Development - Summary
• Egg diameter = 981 ± 13 µm
• Hatching (at 28˚C)
– Time = ~30 hpf (?)
– NL = 2.11 ± 0.17 mm
– BD = 0.78 ± 0.07 mm
• First feeding (at 28˚C)
– Time = 2 dph (~40 hph)
– NL = 3.08 ± 0.09 mm
– BD = 0.64 ± 0.03 mm
First Feeding Trial - Results
Rotifers
Copepods
T value
P value
Survival (%)
50.2 ± 5.4
33.1 ± 4.8
5.20
0.0008
Standard Length (mm)
6.33 ± 0.84
7.07 ± 0.96
5.73
<0.0001
Body Depth (mm)
1.95 ± 0.24
2.14 ± 0.30
4.94
<0.0001
Trial Conclusions
• Survival greater for larvae fed rotifers
– Different feeding densities ?
– Larvae readily accept rotifers
• Growth greater for larvae fed copepods
– Density dependence ?
– Copepods = appropriate nutritional profile
• ‘First’ using cultured live feeds
Observations
• Commercially conducive early feeding regime
– First feeding diet = rotifers / algae paste
– Artemia at ~10 dph
– Artificial feed at ~20 dph
• Metamorphosis (>95%) at ~25 dph
• 70-80 days =
~40mm juvenile
11.5 mm SL
Applications
• ‘Species of Interest’
• Contract: SeaWorld and Industry Partners
– SeaWorld:
• Provide eggs, first pick of product
– Industry:
• Rearing product, sales
– University of Florida
• Provide production insight
• Model of collaboration
• Demonstrates sustainability effort
Future Research ?
• Optimal larviculture protocols
– Monoculture
– Rotifer enrichments
– Early weaning
• Juvenile development
– Time to market size
– Maturation
• Broodstock / Spawning
– Tank size / density
– Optimal diet
Acknowledgements
SeaWorld Orlando
TAL Faculty, Staff, Interns
Rising Tide Conservation
Initiative
Association of Zoos and
Aquariums
Contact Information
Blog: risingtideconservation.blogspot.com
Eric J. Cassiano
1408 24th Street S.E.
Ruskin, FL 33570
813-671-5230 ext. 114
[email protected]