YOUR FISH ARE SPAWNINGNOW WHAT? ADVENTURES IN MARINE LIVE FEEDS

Eric J. Cassiano

University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory

1408 24th Street S.E. Ruskin, FL 33570

Demersal Spawners

Pelagic Spawners

~4-7 days to hatch

~1 day to hatch

Feed that day

~2-3 days to feed

Clownfish eggs/larvae

http://www.flickr.com/photos/luko/9283703717/

http://www.bluevisions.eu

Diversity of Newly Hatched Larvae

Ocellaris Clownfish

Striped Blenny

Sergeant major

Bundoon Blenny

Comet

Courtesy Matthew L. Wittenrich

Courtesy Matthew L. Wittenrich

Live Feeds

Used during the early feeding phase of most fish larvae (marine and freshwater) Higher survival, growth, performance Prepared diet not developed for most species

Used during broodstock acclimation

-Micscape Magazine

Live Feeds in Marine Fish Aquaculture

Traditional = wide spread use Microalgae Rotifers Brine shrimp

Alternative = limited use Copepods Ciliates Bivalve larvae Barnacle larvae Others

Microalgae

Numerous species used Tahitian strain Isochrysis

galbana (T-ISO) Nannochloropsis oculata Chaetoceros gracilis Pavlova sp.

Direct / Indirect nutrition Active consumption (dinos) Passive consumption Food for prey

Shading

Microalgae

Vessels Starters Carboys Mass

Cultures Batch Continuous

Credit: Bay Shellfish Co., manufacturer of the SeaCAPS systems in the Americas

Rotifers

2000 species described Brachionus sp. (~100 m BW)

B. plicatilis (L-strain) B. ibericus (S-strain) B. rotundiformis (SS-strain)

Accepted by marine fish larvae Ease of culture

Dense = ~1000/mL Algae paste Tolerance to water quality issues Enrichments

Rotifers

Colurella adriatica Estuarine rotifer (Tampa Bay) Picture ID (UF) Culture parameters

15 g/L optimal 300 rotifers/mL Algae paste / bacteria (?) ~45 m BW

Rotifers

Aquaculture 315:355-360 (2011)

Proales similis 40 m BW Mass cultured

Brine Shrimp

7-8 Artemia sp. (?)

Most widely used live feed

Produce cysts, timed hatching

http://agsolution.com/28/artemia-cysts

Brine Shrimp

Accepted by marine fish

Large size (450 m - 12 mm)

Secondary feed

Adults used to wean broodstock

Microalgae / Enrichments

http://jcoll.org/genoma/vida_microsubmarina/crustaceos/artemia.html

Copepods

~27,000 species described

Dietary component of many wild marine fish larvae

Small size (40 m - 1 mm)

Appetite stimulatory effect

Maintenance can be variable

Copepods Cyclopoida

Accept a variety of diets ?? Nauplii harvest suited for automation Variable taxonomic group

Harpacticoida Highest densities Epibenthic, wide range H2O quality Accept a variety of diets (prepared diet)

Calanoida Well developed production systems Egg collection and storage Most need live microalgae

Generalized Life Cycle (P. pelagicus)

Nauplii (~90m)

Adult with egg sacs (~1mm)

Copepodite (~400m)

Ciliates

Strombidium sp. Crosshatch Triggerfish

Fabrea salina Red Snapper

Euplotes sp. Golden neon goby Pacific blue tang

Balanion sp. Atlantic cod

Stalked ciliates

Variable maintenance

Used as initial feed

Quickly grow and reduce water quality

Other Live Feeds

Mollusc larvae (clams, oysters) Commercially available Known diet of some fish

Barnacle larvae Annelid larvae Nudibranch larvae

Bulla striata

Wild zooplankton Sieve and bloom Sterilize ?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/viucsr/7417983618/

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk

What Now ??

Typical First Feeding Regime

Florida pompano, developed at Mote Marine Laboratory Nannochloropsis sp. (paste or live)

-Main et al., 2007; SRAC 7206

Environment Tank size (Larger is betterwater quality)

May vary with species Live feed density

Air flow Heavy / light (oxygen levels)

Water Movement Shading (live microalgae / paste / clay)

Lighting Photoperiod / wavelength

Feeding

Feed appropriately Low fish larval density ????

Rotifers Multiple feedings of enriched rotifers (4-5x daily) System designed to flush excess

Copepods Single daily feedings System designed to retain excess

Artemia (2nd feeding) Start slow while co-feeding Wean onto pellets as soon as you can

Monitoring

Water qualitywater qualitywater quality Understand your water source Microscope

Larvae Live feeds Tank

Assistance Extension agents Specialists (Rising Tide Conservation) Hobbyists forums

Live Feed Resources

Plankton Culture Manual Hoff, F.H. and Snell, T.W. (1987)

Manual on the Production and Use of Live Food for Aquaculture

Lavens, P., Sorgeloos, P. (1999)

Live Feeds in Marine Aquaculture Stottrup, J.G. and McEvoy, L.A. (2003)

Copepods in Aquaculture Lee, C-S., OBryen, P.J., Marcus, N.H. (2005)

Contact Information:

Eric J. Cassiano

University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory

1408 24th Street S.E. Ruskin, FL 33570

Phone: (813) 671-5230 ext. 114 Email: ericcass@ufl.edu Web: http://tal.ifas.ufl.edu/index.htm

YOUR FISH ARE SPAWNINGNOW WHAT? ADVENTURES IN MARINE LIVE FEEDSSlide Number 2Slide Number 3Slide Number 4Slide Number 5Live FeedsLive Feeds in Marine Fish AquacultureMicroalgaeMicroalgaeRotifersRotifersRotifersBrine ShrimpBrine ShrimpCopepodsCopepodsGeneralized Life Cycle (P. pelagicus)Ciliates Other Live FeedsWhat Now ??Typical First Feeding RegimeEnvironmentFeedingMonitoringLive Feed ResourcesContact Information: