Studies on the Maturation and Spawning of Milkfish Chanos chanos Forsskal in a Photoperiod-Controlled Room

Progress in propagation of milkfish has been impeded by the shortage of mature broodstock. This study was a first step toward revealing the environmental cues for the maturation of milkfish. Experiments were carried out during 1978-1985 in an indoor tank (5.2 × 4.8 × 13 m) under photoperiod control and in an outdoor tank (63 × 5.4 × 13 m). In two controlled, long-photoperiod regime experiments, 86 and 83% of the fish matured, the highest percentages yet reported. In these experiments, milkfish matured one month earlier than the normal spawning season, two months after the fish were exposed to the long daylight regime. Only 21% of the fish under a natural photoperiod regime in the outdoor tank matured. Results of the current study suggest that a change and increase in photoperiod are necessary for the onset of maturation.