Hormone Induced Spawning of Summer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus

During their first year in captivity, summer flounder Paralicthys denratus were induced to spawn with gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) implants, injected carp pituitary extract (CPE) or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injections. The percentage of fertile eggs was greatest (69%) in CPE-treated females. CPE, but not GnRHa or hCG, was capable of stimulating oocyte growth (increased follicle diameter during vitellogenesis) followed by ovulation. Fish with maximum ovarian follicle diameters between 180 and 435 μm at the initiation of CPE injections produced the greatest percentage of fertile eggs. For most females, fertilization rate was greatest for the first batch of eggs ovulated. The mean fertilization rate for the first spawn of CPE-treated fish was 42% compared with 14% for the second spawn from the same fish. Fish with maximum initial follicle diameters of 585 40 μm that were implanted with GnRHa ovulated the greatest number of eggs, but fertility was low and variable. Approximately 35% of females injected with hCG ovulated a limited number of eggs, but only one hCG-treated female produced fertile eggs. Only a limited number of spermiating males were available for spawning trials. Hormone treatments used on females were ineffective for inducing or maintaining spermiation in male summer flounder.     

Progress in Controlled Breeding of Summer Flounder,Paralichthys dentatus,and Southern Flounder,P. lethostigma

ABSTRACT

The sum mer floun der, Paralichthys dentatus, and the south ern floun der, P. lethostigma, are high value flat fish spe cies and im -por tant can di dates for com mer cial aquaculture in the east ern U.S. Wild-caught adults of both spe cies have been spawned ei ther nat u rally or by hor mone-in duc tion dur ing their first year in cap tiv ity, but spawn ing suc -cess and fre quency of vo li tional spawnings im proves with size/age and ha bit u a tion (>1.5 year) to cap tiv ity. Con trolled-en vi ron ment tanks (2.5-10 m³) sup plied with re cir cu lat ing sea wa ter (32-36 ppt) are used for photo -thermal con di tion ing of broodstock to fa cil i tate en vi ron men tal con trol, ob ser va tion, han dling, and feed ing. Stocking den si ties of 1.7-4.11 kg/m³and sex ra tios of 1-2 males:1 fe male are rec om mended, but op tima have not been de ter mined. In the sum mer floun der, com mer cial hatch er ies use hor mone-in duced spawn ing of photothermally con di tioned fish to sup -ply fingerlings year round. In tra mus cu lar im plan ta tion of a slow-re lease LHRHa pel let (dose ～100 μg/kg) into fe males with max i mum fol li cle diameters >500 μm or with mean oocyte di am e ters rang ing from 258-456 μm in duces re pet i tive ovu la tion and spawn ing. Com mer cial culturists pres ently opt for strip spawn ing, us ing a “light ta ble” to es ti -mate time of ovu la tion, but hor mone-in duced vol un tary spawn ing and nat u ral spawn ing with out hor mone in duc tion could be come more prev a -lent with lon ger-term ac cli ma tion and do mes ti ca tion. In the south ern floun der, im plan ta tion of a slow-re lease LHRHa pel let (～100 μg) has also in duced re pet i tive ovu la tion and spawn ing, al low ing mul ti ple strip spawn ing or vo li tional spawn ing in fe males with max i mum fol li cle di -am e ters > 500 μm. Large num bers of vi a ble em bryos have also been pro -duced through nat u ral spawn ing with out hor mone in duc tion. Through photothermal ma nip u la tion, the nat u ral spawn ing pe riod has been ex -tended by 2-3 months, but ad di tional stud ies are needed to pro duce fingerlings year round. A fun da men tal prob lem in the con trolled re pro -duc tion of both the sum mer floun der and south ern floun der is the vari -abil ity in num ber of eggs and the fer til ity rates among fe males and among con sec u tive spawns from the same fe male. More pre dict able rates of ovu la tion, as well as of fer til iza tion and hatch ing, are needed to lower costs of seed pro duc tion. Vari able spawn ing suc cess can be at trib -uted in large part to in con sis tent male per for mance and in ad e quate spermiation. Hor mone treat ments used to in duce ovu la tion in fe males have been in ef fec tive in in duc ing spermiation in males, and al ter na tive ther a pies are needed. In fe males, egg qual ity may pre sum ably be im -proved by op ti miz ing nutri tions, en vi ron men tal con di tion ing, and hor -mone doses and re lease rates. To date, adult broodstock are ob tained from the wild, and the po ten tial for se lec tive breed ing or for pro duc ing interspecific hy brids re mains un tapped.     

Dietary Lipid Utilization by Juvenile Summer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus

The ability of juvenile summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus to utilize dietary lipid as energy, and the effect of dietary lipid on weight gain and body composition was investigated in a 12-week feeding trial. Diets were formulated to provide 55% crude protein from herring meal and casein. Menhaden oil was added to produce diets with 8, 12, 16 or 20% total lipid while providing 16.0 kJ available energy/g dry diet. The diet containing 20% total lipid supplied 16.7 kJ available energy/g dry diet due to the high levels of protein and lipid. An additional diet was included to reproduce currently available commercial diet formulations for flounder, providing 55% crude protein supplied solely from herring meal and 16% total dietary lipid. Juvenile summer flounder (initial weight 23 g) were stocked into triplicate aquaria in a closed, recirculating system maintained at 20 C. Fish were fed 2% of body weight each day divided into two equal feedings. Upon termination of the study, effects of dietary lipid on weight gain, body condition indices, and proximate composition were determined. Weight gain (96–149% of initial weight), feed efficiency ratio values (0.43–0.48). fillet yield, and whole-body composition all were unaffected by dietary lipid level. High levels of dietary lipid did increase the lipid content in the finray muscle, as fish fed diets containing 16 and 20% dietary lipid had significantly higher lipid levels than fish fed the diet containing 8% lipid. No apparent protein sparing effect of lipid was observed. These data indicate that currently available commercial feeds for summer flounder may be over-formulated and show a need for further research to determine specific and accurate nutritional information for this species.     

Common and Emerging Diseases in Commercially-Cultured Summer Flounder,Paralichthys dentatus

Abstract

Infectious diseases are one of the most common causes of losses in commercial aquaculture for all life stages of fish production. Parasitic infestations such as Trichodinasp., Cryptocaryonsp., Amy-loodiniumsp., Trypanoplasmasp., and monogenic trematodes may have detrimental health consequences when present in high numbers within a cultured population. Bacterial agents such as Vibriosp., Edwardsiellasp., Flexibactersp., and Mycobacteriumsp. may be dormant in some populations but then result in high morbidity or mortality when the fish become stressed by environmental or nutritional factors. Viral diseases are more difficult to diagnose but there are reports of lymphocystis and other viral diseases occurring in flounder species. Many of these diseases result in similar clinical signs of disease. For accurate disease diagnosis, appropriate methods must be implemented to identify and prevent the introduction or dissemination of disease in an aquaculture facility.     

Thermal Optima for the Culture of Juvenile Summer Flounder,Paralichthys dentatus

Abstract

Summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, aquaculture has shown promise over the recent past and a considerable body of knowledge is amassing for this species of flatfish. Even with the amassing data, basic information on environmental parameter ranges to maintain in indoor culture systems is still lacking. Therefore, the current study was undertaken to elucidate a temperature range that may be best suited for juvenile summer flounder production in indoor recirculating aquaculture. A 10-week study was designed to address 19, 24 and 29°C as potential temperatures for the culture of summer flounder. Fish averaging 9.5 g initial weight were stocked into triplicate 20-L aquaria per treatment after conditioning to their respective temperatures for 1 week. Fish were fed to apparent satiation twice daily a 50% crude protein fingerling diet and weighed every 2 weeks to assess growth rates.

Juvenile summer flounder grew better at 24 and 29°C (167 and 197% increase initial weight, respectively) than at 19°C (97% increase in initial weight) with increased individual fish variation within a treatment as temperature increased above 19°C. Feed efficiency was greatest at 24 and 29°C (0.65 and 0.57, respectively), but survival decreased at temperatures above 19°C (93, 60 and 57% for 19, 24 and 29°C, respectively). There was no effect of temperature on the hepatosomatic index or interior muscle ratio, but the finray muscle ratio was slightly elevated when flounder were cultured at 29°C. The lipid content of the finray muscle and liver also increased at 29°C. Therefore, 24°C appears to be the best culture temperature for summer flounder with respect to growth rates and efficiency, but survival and homogeneity of flounder may be lowered at temperatures above 19°C.     

First Evidence for Hybrid Breakdown in the Backcross of Olive Flounder,Paralichthys olivaceus,and Summer Flounder,Paralichthys dentatus

Hybrid and parental backcross experiments were performed using olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, and their female F₁ hybrids to examine hybrid fitness in the backcross. Fertilization rate, hatching rate, and combined fitness measure (CFM, product of fertilization rate and hatching rate) were detected and the results showed that the CFM of hybrid and backcross generations was reduced significantly compared to pure olive flounder crosses. Genomic inheritance from parents to backcross progeny was also detected by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Almost all AFLP bands observed in parents were presented in backcross progeny (backcross1, 218/227; backcross2, 265/282), although 9 and 17 parental bands were missing in backcross1 and backcross2, respectively. Novel bands (absent in parents) also occurred in progeny at the frequencies of 5.63% (13/231) in backcross1 and 3.28% (9/274) in backcross2. Additionally, 27.40 and 31.18% of AFLP markers deviated from expected Mendelian ratio in backcross1 and backcross2, respectively. The present study suggests that genetic incompatibilities may exist between olive flounder and summer flounder. Furthermore, possible implications of segregation distortion for reduced hybrid fitness in backcross generations are discussed.     

A Dynamic, Stochastic Model of a Land-Based Summer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus Aquaculture Firm

Exploring the possibilities for commercial aquaculture has historically concentrated on reducing production uncertainty by focusing on an animal's biology and the engineering of the production facility. However, the aquaculturist faces both production and market uncertainty, both of which may significantly affect the economic feasibility of a production facility. We developed a dynamic stochastic model to compare alternative production and marketing scenarios and used the net present value of returns to evaluate the scenarios. Based on the model and the scenarios we examined, firms producing summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus are unlikely to be profitable unless they locate near and use a source of salt-water, sell their product predominately to sushi chefs (or other premium market outlets) who desire medium-sized live fish, and engage in strategies that account for market dynamics.     

Skeletal and Pigmentation Defects following Retinoic Acid Exposure in Larval Summer Flounder, Paralichthys dentatus

Supplementation of larval diets with vitamin A (VA) is routinely and successfully used to stimulate pigmentation development in hatchery‐reared flatfishes. However, excess dietary VA can lead to high levels of its metabolite retinoic acid (RA) and has been associated with the occurrence of skeletal deformities, presumably via RA toxicity. We reared summer flounder larvae, Paralichthys dentatus, in water containing 0‐ to 20‐nM RA to assess its effects on postmetamorphic pigmentation and on skeletal development. RA exposure disrupted pigmentation development: treated tanks had a smaller percentage of normally pigmented fish than did controls, with increased numbers of both hypo‐ and hyperpigmented individuals. Exposure also affected the development of several skeletal features: RA treatment correlated with a significant increase in the severity of defects in jaws, fins, hypurals, and vertebrae compared with control groups.     

Progress Toward Year-round Spawning of Southern Flounder Broodstock by Manipulation of Photoperiod and Temperature

Reliable methods have been developed for controlled spawning of captive southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma, broodstock during their natural winter (December–February) spawning season. From 1999 to 2004, we evaluated the effects of manipulation of photoperiod and temperature on both advance and delay spawning to produce viable embryos throughout the year. Wild‐caught adult broodstock were held in 4.8‐ to 7.0‐m³ controlled‐environment tanks at a sex ratio of approximately 12 females to 4 males. Broodstock were subjected to different artificial photothermal conditioning regimes: extended winter (EW), accelerated (A‐10‐, A‐6‐, A‐4.5‐, and A‐3.8‐mo regimes), and delayed (D‐16‐ and D‐14‐mo regimes), with gradual and abrupt transitions, respectively, from long to short daylengths. Under an EW cycle, fish were exposed to constant short daylengths (10 L: 14 D) after the winter solstice in January. Eighty‐seven natural spawnings from December to April produced 18.3 × 10⁶ eggs, with 20.9% hatching successfully (i.e., overall egg viability). Under an A‐10‐mo cycle, rate of decrease in daylength was accelerated after the summer solstice in July, to reach winter conditions in October. Seven induced spawning trials from October to November produced 897 × 10³ eggs, with 40.4% viability. Under an A‐6‐mo cycle, rate of change of photoperiod was accelerated after the winter solstice in January, to reach winter conditions in July. Three induced spawning trials in July produced 550 × 10³ eggs, with 14.7% viability. Under an A‐4.5‐mo cycle, broodstock exposed to EW from January through April were exposed to an accelerated cycle to reach winter conditions by October. Four induced spawning trials from September to November produced 729 × 10³ eggs, with 28.7% viability. Under an A‐3.8‐mo cycle, broodstock exposed to EW conditions from January through April were exposed to an accelerated cycle to reach winter conditions by September. Five induced spawning trials from September to November produced 510 × 10³ eggs, with 45.9% viability. Under a D‐16‐mo cycle, fish were exposed to a decelerated decline in photoperiod after the summer solstice in July, to reach winter conditions in May, when atretic females were observed. Under a D‐14‐mo cycle, fish were exposed to constant summer conditions from December through mid‐June and then to an abrupt decline in photoperiod to winter conditions in late June. Six induced spawning trials from September to November produced 763 × 10³ eggs, with 13.0% viability. Production of viable embryos was greatest during the extended winter because of abundant natural spawnings. While successful natural spawnings were rare during the fall or summer, viable embryos were produced through induced spawnings during all seasons of the year, with no significant (P > 0.05) differences in egg viability. Extended winter conditions prolonged spawning from 3 to 5 mo. Accelerated (3.8–10 mo) regimes were effective in producing viable embryos from summer through fall, but a minimum of 5 mo was required to complete gonadal recrudescence. While constant long daylengths after the summer solstice delayed gonadal recrudescence, with spawning obtained 2.5 mo after an abrupt reduction to short daylengths, a decelerated decline in photoperiod did not. Artificial control of daylength enabled precise control of gonadal recrudescence and year‐round spawning in southern flounder without adverse effects on the quality of eggs and larvae and will improve availability of seedstock for commercial aquaculturists.     

Effects of Water Velocity on Conditioning of Summer Flounder,Paralichthys dentatus,for Net Pens

Abstract

Attempts to rear summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, in net pens have suffered from high mortality during the month after fish were transferred from a nursery facility to pens. We investigated whether exposing summer flounder to increased (and constant) current velocity in the nursery stage would condition them for better performance in cages. Three experiments were conducted with different water velocities in tanks, using fish of 124±4 g (exposed to 0, 15, or 30 cm/sec for 60 d), 257±12 g (exposed to 0, 20, or 40 cm/sec for 60 d) and 387±13 g (exposed to 0, 15, or 30 cm/sec for 30 d), in a raceway system with adjustable paddlewheels. For all of the size groups of fish, survival was significantly reduced at the highest current velocity. For both 124-g and 257-g fish, growth in the medium-velocity treatment was significantly better than that in the control (0 cm/sec) treatment, which in turn was better than that in the high-velocity treatment. For 387-g fish, growth at medium velocity was significantly greater than that at high velocity; control fish were lost due to a system malfunction. Food consumption data from the 257-g fish showed that the fish in medium velocity grew most because they consumed significantly more food during the experiment than did fish in the control, which in turn consumed significantly more than fish in high velocity. Similarly, 387-g fish in medium velocity consumed the most food, but the difference was not significant in this case. At the end of the laboratory experiment with 124-g fish, fish from the control and medium-velocity treatments were moved to cages in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, where currents of about 1 knot (approx. 55 cm/second) are routine. After three weeks in the cages, no significant differences in survival were observed (control = 83±12%; medium velocity = 81±2%). Subsequent damage to some of the cages and escapement of the fish precluded further statistical analysis of survival, as well as any growth measurements. At the end of the laboratory experiment with 387-g fish, fish from medium- and high-velocity treatments were moved to the cages; however, survival in this case was very low (<10% in all cages), perhaps due to heavy waves from an offshore hurricane. We conclude that current velocities of 15-20 cm/second in the nursery improve growth of juvenile summer flounder, that current velocities of 30-40 cm/second are excessive, but that increased current velocity in the nursery does not improve fish survival upon transfer to cages.     

漠斑牙鲆人工催产和自然产卵的比较

为探索漠斑牙鲆人工催产的可行性,以便在预期时间集中获得苗种,分别于2006年在大连和2007年在江苏进行了人工催产和自然产卵对比试验.试验结果表明,漠斑牙鲆亲鱼自然产卵受精率和孵化率远远高于人工催产,但人工催产可以准确掌握生产时机,在短时间内获得大量受精卵和初孵仔鱼;4龄亲鱼人工催产产卵量、受精率、受精卵孵化率高于3龄亲鱼.人工催产受精率孵化率有待于进一步提高.     

Development of a Squid-hydrolysate-based Larval Diet and its Feeding Performance on Summer Flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, Larvae

Locally generated squid‐processing byproduct was processed into concentrated hydrolysate (22% solids, 17.3% protein, and 3.0% lipid, primarily phospholipids—11.6% eicosapentaenoic acid/24.5% docosahexaenoic acid on a lipid weight basis). Two microparticulate diets (65% protein, 19% lipid, 7.5% carbohydrate, and 19.12 MJ/kg energy, on a dry weight basis) were prepared using squid hydrolysate (SH) and squid‐herring hydrolysate as sole protein sources (73.3 and 78.65% of the whole diet, respectively). A 22‐d feeding trial with summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, larvae of 17 d after hatch showed that the survival rate (92%) of larvae fed SH was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of larvae fed live Artemia nauplii (81%) and a commercial diet, Proton (65%), while specific growth rates (SGR) were comparable (2.23% /d for SH and 2.86% /d for Artemia) with the lowest for Proton (1.39% /d). After switching from commercial and Artemia diets to a SH diet for 17 d following the 22‐d feeding, significant improvements were seen in survival rates of postweaning larvae fed previously commercial (65.28–76.57%) and Artemia diets (81.25–89.07%).     

Effects of Rotifer and Artemia Fatty-Acid Enrichment on Survival, Growth and Pigmentation of Summer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus Larvae

Abstract— Enrichment of live food for marine fish larvae with highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) has been shown to improve survival, growth and stress resistance in many species and to decrease pigmentation abnormalities in flatfish. In order to aid the developing summer flounder industry, we conducted an experiment in which summer flounder larvae were fed diets differing in HUFA composition to determine whether enrichment with a commercially available product would increase survival and growth and reduce the incidence of abnormal pigmentation. We also examined whether growing unenriched rotifers on different species of algae would affect the survival, growth and pigmentation of the flounder larvae to which they were fed. Growth of summer flounder larvae was significantly better when they were fed HUFA-enriched Mtifers and Artemia rather than unenriched and, among the unenriched treatments, was significantly better when the larvae were fed rotifers raised on Isochrysis galbana rather than on Tetraselmis suecica . The percentage of larvae that failed to complete metamorphosis during the experiment was significantly higher in the unenriched treatments than in the enriched treatments. Neither survival nor percentage of individuals with pigmentation abnormalities were significantly different among the treatments.     

Partial Replacement of Fish Meal with Plant Protein Sources Singly and in Combination in Diets for Summer Flounder,Paralichthys dentatus

Soybean meal (SBM), corn gluten meal (CGM), and canola protein concentrate (CPC) as alternative protein sources to fish meal (FM) were individually evaluated for growth performance at 0, 20, 30, 40, and 50% replacement with amino acid (AA) supplementation using juvenile summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, in an 8‐wk feeding. Two‐way ANOVA indicated no significant main effect for plant protein source, but a significant main effect for replacement level. Comparison of the individual treatments revealed significant differences in weight gain (WG) between the FM treatment and 50% replacement level for all protein sources, as well as between the FM treatment and 30% replacement with CPC. Replacement of FM with SBM at 40% resulted in the least cost/kg WG. In a follow‐up study, a combination of SBM–CGM–CPC at 40% replacement was evaluated with and without AA, phytase (0.2%), or taurine (1%), versus FM and SBM (40% replacement of FM) with AA. The SBM–CGM–CPC diet with either AA or taurine provided a significantly better food conversion ratio and less cost/kg WG than the SBM diet, and the SBM–CGM–CPC diet with taurine provided a significantly better protein efficiency ratio than the SBM diet. On the basis of these results, more study of taurine in plant protein diets for summer flounder appears warranted.     

室内工厂化养殖犬齿牙鲆的生长特性

对室内工厂化养殖的犬齿牙鲆生长特性进行了研究。结果表明,其生长旺盛期在2龄,日生长最快达5.52g/d,第1年平均为1.65g/d,第2年平均为2.34g/d,第3年平均为1.3g/d,第4年平均为0.75g/d。养殖1周年其平均体重可达600g左右,两周年达1500g;其全长和体重的关系为W=0.0076TL3.1785(R2=0.9765),全长与体高和标准体长的关系分别为TL=2.5685BD-0.6594(R2=0.9823),TL=1.1957SL-0.1724(R2=0.9922)     

Changes in Plasma Cortisol, Glucose, and Selected Blood Properties in the Summer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus Associated with Sequential Movement to Three Experimental Conditions

To determine the changes in blood chemistry associated with sequential transfer of summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus (320–480 g), 300 hatchery-reared fish were moved to three different environmental conditions during a 20-d period. Fish were transferred in progression from a recirculating seawater system (22 ppt, 22.5 C) to a flow-thru seawater system (31 ppt, 20.0 C), to three small coastal net pens (33 ppt, 15.5 C), and finally to a large open ocean net pen (33 ppt, 16.0 C). For this study, eight random fish were captured at each progressive step (environmental condition), anesthetized (MS222), and bled from the caudal vein (2 mL). Transferred flounder were bled every 12 h for 48 h to collect plasma cortisol and glucose samples. Fish were bled 24 h after transport and every 3 d thereafter for osmolarity, hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin content, glucose, cortisol, and the electrolytes Cl^- Na⁺, K⁺ and Ca⁺. The most significant perturbations to blood chemistry (P < 0.05) occurred within 24 h of initial transfer from the recirculating to flow-thru seawater systems, suggesting an osmoregulatory rather than handling or transfer related stress. Osmolarity, electrolyte, and hematological parameters fluctuated and then recovered to stable levels by day 8 in the flow-thru seawater system. However, unlike the initial transfer, successive movement to the coastal and then the open ocean net pens produced transient increases in both plasma cortisol and glucose levels, suggesting a high level of stress associated with extended flounder handling and transfer.     

Recurrent Amyloodiniosis on Broodstock of the Brazilian Flounder Paralichthys orbignyanus: Dinospore Monitoring and Prophylactic Measures.

Broodstock of the Brazilian flounder Paralichthys orbignyanus (Valenciennes, 1839) kept in the laboratory suffered recurrent heavy infestations by the ectoparasitic dinoflagellate Antyloodinium cf. ocellatum . Between 10 January and 26 February 2003 we monitored A. cf. ocellatum dinospore (infectious motile stage) abundance in a maturation system in order to predict amyloodiniosis outbreaks. Though daily water exchange rate of the tank containing the specimens was 150% of total tank volume (2,500 L), by 15 January the dinospore abundance in the tank reached 1,800 cells/L and on 25 January 7,200 cells/L. There was a subsequent small decrease in dinospore abundance, but by the end of the study period counts were still around 3,000 cells/L. Infested fish were successfully treated with copper sulfate (1.5-mg Cu/L for 24 h during 7d). Observation of the biofilm from the bottom of the tank showed a high number of resting cysts (tomonts) of A. cf. ocellatum after treatment. Apparently, the copper sulfate forced the detachment of the trophonts (feeding parasitic growth stage), and generated the high number of tomonts at the bottom of the tank. The copper sulfate concentration used in the treatment was not effective to kill the tomonts. After a disease outbreak in March 2002 and fish recovery, the biofilm with tomonts at the bottom of the tank was removed by brushing and the use of hydrochloric acid (HC1 30%^v/_v). After this, no infestation occurred for at least a month. Meanwhile, fish in a nearby tank, where biofilm was not removed, had three amyloodiniosis outbreaks. Our results show that the water exchange rate applied was not sufficient to eliminate the dinospores from the water column, or to remove and eliminate the tomonts from the biofilm. We suggest that cleaning the biofilm of tanks after treatment of infested fish should be considered as a prophylactic measure in order to avoid recurrent amyloodiniosis.     

Sustained, Natural Spawning of Southern Flounder Paralichthys lethostigma Under an Extended Photothermal Regime

Hormone‐induced spawning of southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma has produced substantial numbers of viable eggs, but wide variations in fertilization and hatch rates have been reported. Recently, sustained natural spawning of southern flounder broodstock, without hormone induction, has been achieved in our laboratory. Adults (average weight = 1.12 kg; N= 25), including 6 captured as juveniles in 1993 and 19 captured as adults during September 1998, were stocked in two 4.8‐m³ controlled‐environment tanks in October 1998 and held under natural photothermal conditions until January 1999, when an artificial winter photo‐period of 10 L:14 D was initiated and then maintained through April 1999. Sex ratio was approximately 13 females:8 males:7 unknown. Natural spawning was observed in early December 1998 and increased in frequency to a peak in March 1999, before declining in late April. Water temperature ranged from 13.9 to 24.5 C during the spawning period. Natural spawnings over 142 d produced a total of 18.3 × 10⁶ eggs, with a mean fertilization rate of 28.0% (range = 0–100%), yielding 4.94 × 10⁶ fertilized eggs. The mean percentage of eggs that remained buoyant in full‐strength seawater (34 ppt) was 41.3% (0–98%), while hatching rate of buoyant eggs was 37.3% (0–99%) and survival of yolksac larvae to the first‐feeding stage was 30.2% (0–100%). Gonadal biopsies in late April identified six females from both tanks as probable spawners. A preliminary comparison suggests that natural spawning produced much larger numbers of viable eggs per female, with higher egg quality (i.e., fertilization and hatching success) than hormone‐induced spawning. In contrast to natural spawning, hormone‐induced strip‐spawning enabled timing of spawnings to be more precisely controlled. These results suggest that a combination of both natural and hormone‐induced spawning of photothermally conditioned fish will help produce the large numbers of eggs required to support commercial production.     

Effects of Larval Stocking Density on Laboratory-Scale and Commercial-Scale Production of Summer Flounder Paraliehthys dentatus

Abstract.— Three experiments investigating larval stocking densities of summer flounder from hatch to metamorphosis, Paralichthvs dentalus, were conducted at laboratory‐scale (75‐L aquaria) and at commercial scale (1,000‐L tanks). Experiments 1 and 2 at commercial scale tested the densities of 10 and 60 larvae/L, and 10, 20, and 30/L, respectively. The laboratory scale experiment tested the densities of 10, 20, 30, and 40 larvae/L. Experiments were carried out in two separate filtered, flow‐through seawater systems at URI Narragansett Bay Campus (laboratory‐scale), and at GreatBay Aquafarms, Inc. (commercial‐scale). At both locations, the larvae were raised in a “greenwater” culture environment, and fed rotifers and brine shrimp nauplii according to feeding regimes established for each location. Water temperature was maintained at 21C (± 2) and 19C (± 1) for the duration of laboratory and commercial experiments, respectively. Experiments 1 and 2 at the commercial location were terminated at 42 and 37 d post hatch (dph), respectively, and the laboratory experiment lasted 34 DPH. Larvae initially stocked at 10/L grew to an average length of 14.3 and 14.4 mm, and were significantly larger (P < 0.05) than those stocked at 30/L (13.1 mm) and 60/L (11.7 mm) in commercial scale experiments I and 2, respectively. At laboratory scale, no significant differences in length were detected, although mean total length tended to decrease with increasing stocking density (average length of 14.2, 13.3, 12.7, and 12.7 mm for treatments of 10, 20, 30, and 40/L, respectively). Final survival percentage was not affected by stocking density in either commercial experiment, and was 61 and 40% for treatments of 10 and 60/L in Experiment 1, respectively, and 62, 59, and 56% for Experiment 2, respectively. Similarly, there was no significant difference in final survival percentage among treatments in the laboratory experiment, which averaged 59, 55, 56, and 37% for treatments of 10, 20, 30, and 40L. respectively. Since larval length was not different between the intermediate densities (20 and 30 Iarvae/L), and because high‐density rearing can produce a much greater numerical yield per tank, we recommend a density of 30 larvaen as an optimal stocking density for the hatchery production of summer flounder.