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AQUACULTURE EXTENSION MANUAL NO. 56

JULY 2014

Hatchery production of snubnose pompano Trachinotus blochii Lacepede Ofelia S. Reyes Evelyn Grace T. de Jesus-Ayson Fiona L. Pedroso Ma. Irene C. Cabanilla

Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center AQUACULTURE DEPARTMENT www.seafdec.org.ph

AQUACULTURE EXTENSION MANUAL NO. 56

JULY 2014

Hatchery production of snubnose pompano Trachinotus blochii Lacepede Ofelia S. Reyes Evelyn Grace T. de Jesus-Ayson Fiona L. Pedroso Ma. Irene C. Cabanilla

Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center AQUACULTURE DEPARTMENT www.seafdec.org.ph

ON THE COVER: Snubnose pompano Trachinotus blochii Lacepede raised at SEAFDEC/AQD [photo by J Zarate]

Hatchery production of snubnose pompano Trachinotus blochii Lacepede JULY 2014

ISSN 0115-5369

Published and printed by: Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines Copyright Š 2014 Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines

All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher

For comments and inquiries

SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department Tigbauan, Iloilo 5021, Philippines

Tel Fax Email AQD website

(63-33) 330 7000 or 511 9170 (63-33) 330 7031 aqdchief@seafdec.org.ph www.seafdec.org.ph

FOREWORD SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department (AQD) is pleased to put to print for the first time the results of six years of studies on the biology, breeding and larviculture of one of Southeast Asia’s high-value reef fishes, the pompano Trachinotus blochii Lacepede.

Pompano is a “new” fish for farmers to culture but interest has been increasing because of the high demand for reef fishes in local and export markets. As a commercially important species, it has now become a priority for research-anddevelopment for AQD. We assure hatchery operators and fish growers that AQD will continue to support the aquaculture industry in Southeast Asia by innovating technologies that are cost-efficient, sustainable and environment-friendly; and by continuously disseminating information through training and reading materials.

We hope for the feedback of technology users to enable us to refine fish hatchery and grow-out culture technologies further.

Felix G. Ayson, D.Sci. Chief, SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department

CONTENTS Introduction, p 1 Biology, p 1 Broodstock acquisition and management, p 2 Spawning, p 4 Egg collection, disinfection and incubation, p 6 Larval rearing, p 9 First phase nursery, p 12 Stocking density and water management, p 12 Feeding, p 13 Sorting, p 14 Prophylaxis, p 14 Harvest and transport, p 15 Diseases and parasites, p 17 References, p 18 Appendices I. Facilities and equipment needed in a hatchery, p 19 II. Natural food production, p 21

Algae

Rotifer

Artemia biomass

Enriched rotifer and Artemia III. How to prepare Lugol’s solution, p 24 IV. Disinfection with chlorine, p 24 Acknowledgment, p 25 About the authors, p 26

INTRODUCTION The pressure of increasing demand for food to feed the world’s increasing population has led to the search for species with culture potential. Snubnose pompano is a good candidate because it can easily adapt to captive conditions in ponds and cages, can readily accept formulated feed (pellet), and can be grown at lower salinity (15-18 ppt). Furthermore, it possesses white flesh, a quality that is preferred by consumers, and can thus be exported. The development of the pompano industry in the Philippines is currently impeded by the low supply of fingerlings for stocking in ponds and cages. Only a few hatcheries are producing pompano, and these can not meet the growing demand for pompano fingerlings by fish farmers.

This manual was prepared by the fish hatchery group of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center / Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) to guide fish hatchery operators in broodstock management, larval rearing and production of natural food for pompano larvae. Most of the information are based on six years of continuous research-and-development and production in the hatchery at AQD. In the coming years and using the feedback of technology users or the private sector, the AQD researchers should be able to refine the pompano hatchery technology to make it more cost-efficient for hatchery operators. For now, the manual describes a working technology that can guide hatchery operators.

BIOLOGY The snubnose pompano, Trachinotus blochii Lacepede, belongs to Family Carangidae. It is locally known in the Philippines as pompano, “apahan” or “dawis lawin”. Its natural habitat is marine and reef-associated environments.

The pompano is pelagic, very active, and easy to domesticate both in marine and brackishwater environments.

Pompano is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region, eg. Red Sea, East Africa, Marshall Island to Samoa, northern to southern Japan, and Australia.

Juvenile pompano is commonly found in sandy shorelines and muddy bays near the river mouth, tending to aggregate in small schools. When it becomes an adult, it becomes solitary.

Juvenile pompano is apparently an opportunistic feeder. It is observed to be a planktivore, primarily consuming copepods and some benthic organisms including polychaetes. Adult pompano appears to be a selective grazer, feeding mostly on the bottom on a wide range of natural food such as sand mollusks and other invertebrates. The pharyngeal plate (roof of the mouth) of adult pompano is welldeveloped and this allows the consumption of hard-shelled organisms.