A simple and inexpensive spawning and egg collection system for fish with pelagic eggs

A spawning and egg collecting system for fish with pelagic eggs is described and discussed. The spawning unit is a 175 m³ submersible plastic pen supported by a polyethylene floating collar. The eggs are collected by rotating the water column in the pen and placing a net in the rotating water. The system is inexpensive and easy to operate. Temperature and illumination control are feasible.The quantity collected in the 1981 spawning season was 138 million eggs. Obtained eggs were of good quality. The theoretical spawning potential of the brood stock was 271 million eggs. This difference was mainly ascribed to suboptimal collection, but also to incomplete spawning and sinking of unfertilized and dead eggs.