A summary of techniques for capture, transportation, handling, sampling, sexing, spawning, larval rearing and weaning of red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is presented . Wild broodstock were captured during the beginning of their reproductiv e season in May 2018 in waters of Port Canaveral, Florida. All fish were tagged and treated prophylactically for parasites with fresh water, hydrogen peroxide and Formalin baths . After acclimation, seven female and five male fish averaging 5.5kg, were maintained in a 60 m³ tank equipped with RAS and temperature control at a stocking density of 1.2 kg/m³. P eriodic prophylactic treatments and controlled diet were administrated throughout the season . In order to stimulate the maturation of the fish, t emperature was gradually increased each month, starting at 22 °C in January and reaching 26 °C in April, in the beginning of the spawning season. Prophylactic treatments were administrated every 2 months and consisted in transferring the fish to a quarantine tank, treating them with a 3 minutes fresh water bath, 150 ppm of hydrogen peroxide for 3 minutes, and 100 ppm of Formalin for 1 hour. Fish were sampled to observe stage of maturation of gametes. The system was cleaned and disinfected for 24 hrs. Diet of the broodstock was maintained 3% of the biomass and consisted of squid, sardine s and a vitamin and mineral supplement. The broodstock diet was enhanced with mackerel, shrimp, and polychae tes as the spawning season approached.
Continuous volitional spawns were obtained in the first months of the season. The f irst high quality spawns were obtained in August, when 3,135,050 eggs were collected, of which over 1,500, 000 eggs were stocked in tanks ranging 400-L to 2,400-L. Spawns had a fertility rate >65% and maximum density of incubation of 500 eggs L-1 . Incubation of the eggs last 24hrs at 26 ° C, and hatch rate averaged 85%. After hatching, larvae were passive transferred to tanks of same volume and stoc ked at densities ranging from 40-100 larvae L-1. T emperature in the larval rearing ranged from 24-26 ° C. Algae in paste were used as green water. S -strain rotifers, Brachionus rotundiformis, were used as exclusive first feed . Enriched Artemia were gradually introduced as feed to the larvae and co-feeding of both prays occurred until the beginning of metamorphosis. During and after metamorphosis Artemia were gradually replaced by dry feed . Survival rates from yolk-sac larvae to post-metamorphi c, early juvenile averaged 5% in the first batch. Broodstock are conditioned and continue to regularly spawn volitionally and various experimental trials currently are being performed aiming the development of an ideal larval rearing protocol for mass production of red snapper fingerlings.