Application of Marine Foodfish Techniques in Marine Ornamental Aquaculture: Reproduction and Larval First Feeding

The long-term sustainability of the marine ornamental industry is being threatened by environmental pressures that are severely degrading the health of coral reef ecosystems. There is now a compelling need to practice resource conservation through the development of 'reef friendly' aquaculture technologies as an alternative to wild collection practices and to restore degraded wild populations. The commercial culture of marine ornamental finfish is very much in its infancy, but advances can be made more rapidly using insights from years of research and development with marine foodfish species. Many of the bottlenecks and constraints to developing marine ornamental fish culture are those now being addressed with the more challenging species of foodfish being attempted. The two key bottlenecks that currently limit expansion of the marine ornamental industry are the control of captive maturation and spawning and the identification of appropriate first-feed items for marine ornamental fish larvae. This paper highlights basic principles and recent achievements in marine foodfish culture that might be applicable to rapid development of controlled reproduction and propagation techniques for marine ornamental finfish.     

国内外海水观赏鱼产业与研究现状

海水观赏鱼贸易是海洋水族馆贸易行业的重要部分,是一项价值十几亿美元的产业,每年交易量达数百万尾,且需求量逐年上升,但由于严重依赖野生资源捕捞而使该行业饱受争议。目前,90%~95%的海水观赏鱼由野生捕捞获得,在已知的数千种珊瑚礁鱼类中,有一半以上在缺乏或无监测情况下进行贸易,自然资源面临严重威胁。观赏性水产从业者和消费者有责任保护野生捕获物种的可持续发展,海水观赏鱼的养殖被认为是一种保护野生资源的有效手段,但仍有许多技术问题阻碍其发展。文章结合相关数据和文献,概述了国际海水观赏鱼产业现状及最新研究进展,讨论了海水观赏鱼产业中存在的问题,并提出了一些可行的解决方案,旨在为中国海水观赏鱼产业发展提供一定的借鉴和参考。     

Ornamental Fish Industry in Sri Lanka: Present Status and Future Trends

The aquarium fish industry in Sri Lanka has become a valuable foreign exchange earner during the past few years, earning Rs. 530 million in 1998. Sri Lankan ornamental fish exports for the international market include locally wild caught marine, brackish-water and freshwater species as well as captive bred freshwater fish. Presently, there are about 18 registered aquarium fish exporters and together they currently contribute approximately 1% of the world's demand for ornamental fish. Of the freshwater fish species exported from Sri Lanka, the guppy ranks the highest (67% by number), followed by swordtails, angels, platies and various species of tetras. This study aims to assess the present status and future trends in the ornamental fish industry in Sri Lanka; to overview the present fish production system which caters for the international market; and to identify present constraints within the industry. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Biosecurity and Genetic Improvement of Penaeid Shrimp: Applications to the Marine Ornamental Industry

The marine ornamental industry relies almost exclusively on wild-caught fish, invertebrates, and live rock to meet the market demands of aquarium hobbyists. For the industry to expand, appropriate technologies are needed to mitigate disease problems and reduce the dependence on wild stocks. Biosecurity protocols and techniques for genetic improvement have recently been applied to the culture of penaeid shrimp for human consumption, and these approaches may be applicable to an emerging marine ornamental industry. Biosecure production systems for penaeid shrimp are being developed in response to disease problems and growing concerns about environmental pollution from pond effluent. Biosecure systems rely on minimal water exchange and provide shrimp farmers with an opportunity to move production away from the coastline. In addition to the development of biosecure production systems, researchers at the Oceanic Institute have established a selective breeding program for the Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. To date, significant improvements in shrimp growth and disease resistance have been made through selective breeding. It is likely that advances in biosecure technologies and genetic improvement will be applicable to the culture of marine ornamental shellfish and finfish and will contribute to an economically viable and environmentally sustainable industry.     

Profile of the Marine Aquarium Fish Trade in Hong Kong

A market survey and review of government statistics were carried out to establish imports and exports of marine ornamental fishes into and out of Hong Kong, and to examine the local trade in terms of volume, value and species composition. Official government import figures for marine aquarium fishes were available from 1984 to 1991 and from 1997 and 1998. When compared with net imports, export and re-export volumes over the 15-year period were small, indicating that most imports entered the local market, or were exported unrecorded. The market survey of marine aquarium shops in Hong Kong was carried out between August 1996 and January 1997. From this survey, an annual estimate of 957,563 coral reef fish was calculated for the local trade, valued at HK$57,453,780, with a mean retail price of HK$60 per fish. These figures account for an estimated 2–3% of the global value and volume of marine aquarium fish trade, according to 1992 figures and, compared with government figures, indicate that official declarations of imports are underreported by at least 2–3 fold. A total of 342 marine aquarium fish species, from 49 families, were recorded with about 60% belonging to the families Labridae, Chaetodontidae, Pomacanthidae and Pomacentridae. It was estimated that a large proportion of the trade was in juvenile fishes and almost all fish were less than 10cm in standard length. It was common to see fishes in poor condition, species hard to maintain in captivity, or those listed for conservation concern, on sale. There are no regulations for local traders of live marine fishes other than those relating to either protected species or animal welfare. Licensing of traders in marine fishes could be introduced under existing Hong Kong legislation if fishes were to be re-classified as animals. This is strongly recommended as a step towards regulating and managing the trade in Hong Kong.     

Essential Fish Habitat and the Effective Design of Marine Reserves: Application for Marine Ornamental Fishes

Extensive and unregulated harvest of marine ornamental fishes can lead to localized depletion of target species and habitat degradation from inappropriate collecting techniques. One potential solution to these problems is the creation of marine reserves where fishing is prohibited. Marine reserves have been shown to increase fish abundance and protect ecosystems from habitat destruction associated with fishing. If protective areas are to be effective, they must include the diversity of habitats necessary to accommodate the wide range of fish species that are of interest to the marine ornamental fish trade.Fish assemblages with high diversity and abundance are often associated with habitats of high structural complexity. A relationship between fish size and reef complexity suggests the importance of shelter as a refuge for certain fishes in avoiding predation. Many species tend to aggregate to spawn in structurally complex habitats to reduce their risk of predation. Closing of spawning areas during aggregation periods has been shown to be a highly effective management strategy for these species. The limited home ranges and high degree of habitat specificity associated with many marine ornamental fishes should make marine reserves a highly effective strategy for managing these resources.     

The Potential for the Restoration of Marine Ornamental Fish Populations Through Hatchery Releases

Populations of tropical and subtropical marine fish are being depleted worldwide to supply increasing demands of the aquarium industry and fresh seafood market. Overfishing and destructive harvest techniques have left some marine fish populations virtually extirpated in a number of primarily underdeveloped countries. In situations where only small remnant populations and significantly degraded habitat remain, population recovery even under the complete absence of collection will be slow, with the high potential for population loss due to natural environmental and recruitment variability. Stock enhancement, supplementing natural recruitment with hatchery produced fry, has the potential to significantly increase the rate of population recovery while maintaining population vigor.Stock enhancement research on Pacific threadfin has demonstrated measurable positive impacts on recreational and commercial fisheries for this species in experimental scale releases; similar successes can be expected for enhancement efforts directed toward species of ornamental value. The major technological barrier to ornamental fish enhancement, the development of appropriate culture capabilities, is being addressed in research directed to the commercial production of fish for the aquarium trade.     

New perspectives on aquarium fish trade

ABSTRACT:   Since the 1990s, the international market for importing aquarium fish is suspicious of stock coming from South-East Asia. Fish catches are still executed with cyanide-based toxic products. In the present paper, the potential of the French Polynesian Islands to develop a marine aquarium fish business with a new approach is explored. Coral reef fish are captured at the larval stage with crest nets, then larvae are reared in aquaria before being put on the world ornamental fish market. This approach offers several advantages: (i) larvae are captured with a passive system placed on the reef crest (crest net) that does not destroy the environment and limits the stress on collected larvae; (ii) larvae are then put into farmed basins that allow them to be controlled sanitarily; and (iii) larvae are weaned at the farm and fed rapidly with artificial food. This method increases survival rates as it eliminates the food acclimatization problem of fish captured at adult stage (main cause of fish mortality in aquaria). Overall, reared larvae will constitute a new product in terms of species, sizes and quality of ornamental fish on the aquarium market.     

The Introduced Fish Problem and the Aquarium Fish Industry

Of the 46 species of foreign fishes known to be established as reproducing populations in open waters of the contiguous United States, approximately 65% are known or presumed to have originated from the aquarium fish trade. Many escaped or were released from aquarium fish culture facilities and some were introduced by aquarists. More than 50 additional, non-established fishes, mostly aquarium species, have been collected in the wild. These introductions, with established populations, have not been restricted to the so-called Sun Belt states, but have occurred throughout the U.S.
Because many introductions have resulted in serious negative impcts to native fishes, and most have the potential to do so, it is imperative that the aquarium fish industry and trade take measures to curtail such releases. The means of accomplishing this goal are relatively inexpensive. Industry must assist in public education to reduce introductions by aquarists.     

Project Piaba -- towards a sustainable ornamental fishery in the Amazon

Fishes and aquaticenvironments are often overlooked in conservation and sustainabledevelopment projects in Amazonia, yet the diversity of fishes(> 3 000 species) and the socio-economic value of thefisheries and the aquatic habitats have a great importance forthe region. Fishes are not only the principal source of proteinfor local people (> 70 kg/capita), many are also traded asornamental fishes in a worldwide market. The middle Rio Negrobasin is the major fishing grounds for live ornamental aquariumfish. Nearly 20 million live fishes are exported from the regionannually, generating more than US$ 2 000 000 annually forthe local economy. The trade in ornamental fish now contributesover 60% of the income revenue in the municipality. The goal ofProject Piaba is to promote an economically viable fishery forlocal fishers, and an ecologically sustainable resource for agreen aquarium industry. To arrive at these goals first requiresan understanding of the ecosystems and sociocultural systems ofconcern. The Project Piaba team has made baseline studies on thediversity of fishes and habitats, and socio-economic processes ofthe ornamental fishery. Five principal project goals are:(1) To collect baseline data on the ecosystem, socio-economy and diversity of fishes, to analyze the impact of the ornamental fish trade on social and natural environments.(2) To diagnose diseases, to introduce fish care techniques, to improve the survival and quality of fishes and turtles, and eventually to establish quarantine protocols at each level of the trade.(3) To provide environmental education and socio-cultural history to local fishers, distributors and public, and to promote career development in aquarium science and conservation.(4) To create community based fishery management strategies which would include managed harvest levels, stock enhancement of fishes and turtles and the development of aquaculture.(5) To assist in the revision of policies by regulatory agencies in order to protect vulnerable species and enhance the economic viability of the region     

Marine ornamental fish imports in the European Union: an economic perspective

The marine ornamental fish trade (MOFT) is a worldwide industry that targets a remarkable quantity and diversity of reef fish species and provides an important source of revenue for exporting countries, particularly developing nations in Southeast Asia. Here we provide, for the first time, an economic assessment of the MOFT to the European Union (EU), one of the key players of the marine aquarium trade, along with the USA and Japan. Data from EUROSTAT (the European Statistical System) was analysed for the MOFT between 2000 and 2011. Results show that this industry was not affected by the economic crisis and accounted for a total of 135 million Euros during the study period. Both the UK and Indonesia have been reinforcing their importance as leading importer and exporter countries, respectively. The long‐term temporal pattern of the MOFT by EU and non‐EU countries is described, as well as its diversity and evenness between importing and exporting countries. The present economic assessment also identifies the key players of this industry, and ultimately contributes to management and conservation practices that may enhance the sustainable use of world's coral reefs.     

新加坡观赏鱼产业发展的机遇与挑战

新加坡是一个小岛国,农业用地及用于养鱼的海域面积均很有限。但新加坡观赏鱼产业相当独特和成功,是世界第一观赏鱼出口国,向80多个国家出售超过1 000种鱼类,2016年的年收入达到4 300万美元。该产业的成功主要源于其在许可证颁发,生物安全控制,养殖,包装,运输和疾病控制等各方面所具有的独特特征。新加坡正在努力驯养和培育许多高价值的海洋物种和新的淡水物种,并开发新型的循环水养殖系统。上游研究侧重于开发和使用基因组工具来培育新品种并维持野外种类的遗传多样性。但由于养殖鱼类的空间有限,邻国竞争激烈,该行业面临诸多挑战,其市场份额正在减少。在这篇综述中,我们将总结新加坡观赏鱼产业的现状和发展,讨论其面临的挑战,并提出保持该产业领先地位的建议。     

人工鱼礁生态诱集技术的机理及研究进展

人工鱼礁是用于营造海洋牧场、调控和优化海洋生态环境、增殖渔业资源的人工设施。人工鱼礁所形成的环境可以作为鱼类良好的栖息、庇护和产卵场所,有利于鱼类的生存和繁殖,因此对鱼类具有良好的诱集效应。本文从多个角度论述了人工鱼礁生态诱集技术的机理以及鱼类行为和生态诱集技术的研究进展,探讨了目前人工鱼礁生态诱集技术研究所面临的问题和主要发展方向,旨在为我国沿海人工鱼礁建设提供一定的理论基础。     

Reflected‐light Influences the Coloration of the Peppermint Shrimp,Lysmata boggessi (Decapoda: Caridea)

One alternative to contribute to the reduction of the pressure on coral reef ecosystems brought about by an increasing demand for marine aquarium ornamentals is to improve and further develop the culture of desirable species for trade. Peppermint shrimp from the genus Lysmata are among the most intensively traded decapod in the trade and while several studies have been conducted to improve its culture, individuals obtained from culture facilities are generally paler than those collected from the wild. Because color is a fundamental component of the price tag on most marine ornamental live species, poorly colored animals command a lower price, reducing competitiveness. In this study, we evaluate the influence of tank background color (reflected light) on the morphological coloration change of Lysmata boggessi. In a 15‐d experiment, 30 individuals were exposed either to reflected‐red or white light and the relative change of coloration between initial and final moments was quantified with photography (RGB color model). At the end of the experimental period, shrimp exposed to red‐reflected light presented a more intense red coloration than those exposed to white‐reflected light. These results demonstrate that a simple change in background tank color can enhance shrimp external coloration. Such a cheap‐to‐implement procedure can support the culture of more colorful, hence more valuable ornamental shrimp that can compete with those captured from the wild.     

Application of the consortia of nitrifying archaea and bacteria for fish transportation may be beneficial for fish trading and aquaculture

The growing popularity of the aquarium trade is greatly increasing the demand for many ornamental fish. While shipping technology has made the worldwide transportation of ornamental fish possible, a significant portion of the fish caught for the aquarium trade perish in transport before being sold to hobbyists. One of the major causes of fish death in transport is ammonia building up to toxic levels in the shipping bags. In order to solve this problem, we investigated the effectiveness of using nitrifying consortia in reducing the ammonia build‐up in marine fish bags during transport. A pre‐activated nitrifying consortium was effective in safely maintaining low ammonia levels during a three‐day experiment. We found that both ammonium chloride and urea can activate nitrifying consortia. Activation of nitrifiers by urea is not only novel but also beneficial due to being less harmful to fish in comparison with ammonia. We also discovered that unexpectedly one nitrifying consortium examined mainly contained ammonia‐oxidizing archaea. The confirmation of the concept of the use of activated nitrifying consortia and the usefulness of nitrifying archaea for fish transportation may be beneficial for the fish trading and aquaculture.     

Larviculture of Red Front Shrimp, Caridina gracilirostris (Atyidae, Decapoda)

Aquatic ornamental species trade is a growing multimillion dollar industry. Over the past several years, many freshwater shrimp have been growing in popularity in the aquarium industry. This study evaluated the larval culture of the popular aquarium red front shrimp, Caridina gracilirostris (Atyidae). We found that the optimal larval and postlarval rearing conditions were 15 ppt, 27 C, fed with a phytoplankton mixture (Phycopure), and at the stocking density of 25 per L. Under these conditions, the newly hatched larvae developed, through six zoeal stages, into postlarvae in 15 d, with a survivorship of 90 ± 8%. The postlarvae acclimated to freshwater when they reached 69 d posthatch.     

Climate change and the future for coral reef fishes

Climate change will impact coral-reef fishes through effects on individual performance, trophic linkages, recruitment dynamics, population connectivity and other ecosystem processes. The most immediate impacts will be a loss of diversity and changes to fish community composition as a result of coral bleaching. Coral-dependent fishes suffer the most rapid population declines as coral is lost; however, many other species will exhibit long-term declines due to loss of settlement habitat and erosion of habitat structural complexity. Increased ocean temperature will affect the physiological performance and behaviour of coral reef fishes, especially during their early life history. Small temperature increases might favour larval development, but this could be counteracted by negative effects on adult reproduction. Already variable recruitment will become even more unpredictable. This will make optimal harvest strategies for coral reef fisheries more difficult to determine and populations more susceptible to overfishing. A substantial number of species could exhibit range shifts, with implications for extinction risk of small-range species near the margins of reef development. There are critical gaps in our knowledge of how climate change will affect tropical marine fishes. Predictions are often based on temperate examples, which may be inappropriate for tropical species. Improved projections of how ocean currents and primary productivity will change are needed to better predict how reef fish population dynamics and connectivity patterns will change. Finally, the potential for adaptation to climate change needs more attention. Many coral reef fishes have geographical ranges spanning a wide temperature gradient and some have short generation times. These characteristics are conducive to acclimation or local adaptation to climate change and provide hope that the more resilient species will persist if immediate action is taken to stabilize Earth's climate.     

Vitamin C Requirements of the Angelfish Pterophylum scalare

Abstract.— Despite a large economical value of the ornamental fish trade, little information is available on the dietary ascorbic acid requirements of these species. Ascorbic acid requirements of fishes of the cichlid family appear to vary widely. Juvenile angelfish, a widely produced ornamental cichlid, were maintained on diets containing graded levels of ascorbyl monophosphate. Liver ascorbic acid concentrations after 96 d of feeding were significantly reduced in groups receiving 120 mg or less ascorbic acid equivalents/kg diet. However, no differences in growth or mortality between groups were found, and no external signs of ascorbic acid deficiency were observed, indicating a high resistance of this species against prolonged ascorbic acid deficiency. Based on the long possible life span of angelfish in the aquarium, we proposed a conservative dietary ascorbic acid requirement of 360 mg/ kg diet, necessary to maintain maximum tissue storage of this vitamin.     

防城港人工礁区内5种恋礁鱼类的声学标志跟踪

为了解人工鱼礁区鱼类的活动特点及使用超声波遥测方法进行人工鱼礁区鱼类研究的可行性, 2017年7月7日至9月8日于防城港人工鱼礁区利用Vemco定位系统(Vemco position system, VPS)对5种北部湾沿海常见的野生恋礁性鱼类共9尾[体长(21.7±3.8) cm,体重(314±186) g]进行超声波标志遥测跟踪。结果表明, 9尾鱼中的3尾定位效果较为理想(1749～9591个定位结果),活动范围较小,其中100%最小凸多边形(minimum convex polygon, MCPs)范围为12687.6～17123.2 m^2。而50%和95%核心利用分布(Kernelutilizationdistribution,KUDs)范围为5788.1～8708.9 m^2和10240.5～16463.7 m^2。另6尾鱼未取得理想的定位效果(0～14个定位结果),接收机接收回的定位数据可以被检测,表明鱼依然在礁区附近活动。在游离检测范围28～51 d后又有信号返回,说明样本鱼对人工鱼礁环境有一定的偏好性,研究期间样本鱼表现出一定的活动深度变化规律,在15:00～22:00时段活动深度相对较浅,主要集中于人工鱼礁礁体上方(距水底5 m以上)。研究表明,应用超声波遥测技术可以了解鱼类在自然生活状态下的活动特点,可作为鱼类研究的有效手段加以应用。