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Abstract--Although the Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) is a prime candidate for aquaculture, the problematic production of juveniles remains a major impediment to commercial culture of this species. In order to [...]

Striped bass, Morone saxatilis, is an anadromous fish native to the North American Atlantic Coast and is well recognized as one of the most important and highly regarded recreational fisheries in the United States. Decades of research have been conducted on striped bass and its hybrid (striped bass × white bass Morone chrysops) and culture methods have been established, particularly for the hybrid striped bass, the fourth largest finfish aquaculture industry in the United States (US $50 million). Domesticated striped bass have been developed since the 1990s and broodstock are available from the government for commercial fry production using novel hormone‐free methods along with traditional hormone‐induced tank and strip spawning. No commercial‐scale intensive larval rearing technologies have been developed at present and current fingerling production is conducted in fertilized freshwater ponds. Larval diets have not been successfully used as first feeds; however, they have been used for weaning from live feeds prior to metamorphosis. Striped bass can be grown out in marine (32 ppt) or freshwater (<5 ppt); however, they require high hardness (200+ ppm) and some salinity (8–10 ppt) to offset handling stress. Juveniles must be 1–10 g/fish prior to stocking into marine water. Commercially available fingerling, growout, and broodstock feeds are available from several vendors. Striped bass may reach 1.36 kg/fish in recirculating aquaculture by 18 months and as much as 2.27 kg/fish by 24 months. Farm gate value of striped bass has not been determined, although seasonally available wild‐harvested striped bass are valued at about US $6.50 to US $10.14 per kg and cultured hybrid striped bass are valued at about US $8.45 to US $9.25 per kg whole; the farm gate value for cultured striped bass may be as much as US $10.00 or more per kg depending on demand and market. The ideal market size is between 1.36 and 2.72 kg/fish, which is considerably larger than the traditional 0.68 to 0.90 kg/fish for the hybrid striped bass market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to their high value, in the 1950s researchers and commercial ventures began investigating the potential of Florida pompano, Trachinotus carolinus, for aquaculture; however, initial efforts did not result in commercialization. In the early 2000s, a renewed interest in pompano as a candidate for aquaculture occurred, and over the last two decades, protocols have been developed that have allowed commercialization of pompano aquaculture. Florida pompano broodstock can be readily conditioned to spawn (26–28°C) to produce large numbers of fertilized eggs year‐round via hormonally induced volitional tank spawning. Larval rearing is straight forward using a standard feeding regime of rotifers, then Artemia, followed by co‐feeding and weaning to microparticulate diets with metamorphosis occurring at approximately 18–25 days post hatch. Pompano readily consume formulated diets and growout of juveniles to produce marketable fish for consumption is fairly rapid (<12 months) and has been achieved mainly via recirculating aquaculture system technologies and ocean net pens. To expand industry development, there is an ongoing need for research directed towards topics including broodstock domestication, selective breeding, and genetic improvement; delayed maturation; diet development and refinement; disease management; economics and business planning; and marketing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bluebanded goby, Lythrypnus dalli, is a popular ornamental aquarium species and a key organism for the study of several fundamental biological questions, most notably reversible sex change in adults. To maximize the tractability of this species as an emerging model system, it is essential to have an optimized propagation system and a detailed developmental staging scheme. One limitation to the larviculture of L. dalli is the relatively small size of the larvae, which makes the transition from yolk to feeding challenging. We developed a protocol and successfully reared three generations of L. dalli in the laboratory. The protocol contains several key innovations for the rearing of diminutive fish larvae, including tank design and co-culturing of microalgae ( Isochrysis galbana) with copepods ( Parvocalanus sp. ) in the larval rearing tanks. In addition, we describe the embryonic and larval development of L. dalli under controlled conditions and in comparison with the model organism Danio rerio. We found that at 21°C L. dalli larvae hatch in 4 days, reach flexion in 18-25 days and are sexually mature by 3 months. Overall, the embryonic development of L. dalli is remarkably similar to D. rerio with several striking differences, including the position and shape of the blastomere, size of the neuromasts and corresponding cupula, and relative timing of pigmentation and brain subdivision. The ability to rear this species in captivity is a valuable tool that could be utilized for a variety of similarly diminutive species and to address a greater breadth and depth of biological questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]