Over the past ten years, University of Florida’s Indian River Research and Education Center (UF-IRREC) and the Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory (UF-TAL) have been conducting aquaculture research on marine ornamental fishes to define species specific protocols for captive volitional spawning, feeding of larvae with copepods and other live food organisms, and juvenile growout to market size. Our goal is to support conservation by increasing the supply and number of species of marine ornamental fishes available from commercial aquaculture to the $4.5 billion USD annual global reef aquarium industry.
This presentation will detail the current recommended best practices for captive volitional spawning and larval culture methods for pelagic spawning marine ornamental fishes. This presentation will cover broodstock systems and feeding, egg collector design options, larval culture system recommendations, and larval and juvenile feeding protocols.
The following pelagic spawning marine ornamental reef fishes were first cultured in captivity at UF-IRREC. Cuban hogfish (Bodianus pulchellus), reef butterflyfish (Chaetodon sedentarius), banded butterflyfish (Chaetodon striatus), copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus). Pacific blue tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) was first cultured by UF-TAL and later at UF-IRREC. For each species, the volitional spawning patterns in captivity will be presented. The successful larval feeding and culture protocols used, and photos detailing development from egg to the juvenile stages will be presented. Additionally, opportunities and challenges to commercial aquaculture of these species will be discussed.