A captive population of California yellowtail (Seriola lalandi) was used to document spawning patterns, including measures of egg production, population fecundity and egg and larval quality from 2007 to 2010. Spawned eggs were also used to document larval development and to develop rearing techniques for aquaculture in the region. Broodstock growth and condition factor were best when feeding rations were maintained at 10–15% body weight week−1 during the warm summer months. A winter ration based on satiation feeding was typically 4% body weight week−1. During the 4‐year study period, the only broodstock health issue was an infestation by the parasitic gill fluke Zeuxapta seriolae, which was readily treated. Spawning occurred naturally in the 140 m3 tank when the ambient water temperature reached 16°C and ended when the temperature exceeded 22°C. Egg production reached a maximum in 2010 when 43 spawn events were recorded from a pool of nine females yielding 36.8 million eggs in total. The average female size at this time was 20 kg, which equated to a total annual population fecundity of approximately 226 000 eggs kg−1 female year−1. Larval rearing trials yielded survival rates as high as 5.8% from egg to 50 days post‐hatch (dph). Successful larval culture methods included the addition of algae paste for green water culture, rotifers (20 rotifers mL−1) at 2 dph and Artemia (5 Artemia mL−1) at 6 dph. Larvae were transferred from the incubation tank at 10 dph to a shallower tank with 33% greater surface area to accommodate the larvae's strong orientation to surface waters. This research represents the first documentation of successful spawning and larval rearing for S. lalandi in the eastern Pacific.

Surface disinfection trials were performed on eggs from three marine finfish species: California yellowtail (CYT; Seriola lalandi), white seabass (WSB; Atractoscion nobilis) and California halibut (HA; Paralichthys californicus). All three species were spawned from captive populations maintained at the Hubbs‐SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI). Five disinfection treatments were used for each species; Treatment 1 included 100 mg L−1 of formalin (F100) for 60 min (current HSWRI treatment), Treatment 2 included 1000 mg L−1 of formalin for 15 min (F1000), Treatment 3 included povidone–iodine of 50 mg L−1 for 15 min (PI50), Treatment 4 included povidone‐iodine of 100 mg L−1 for 10 min (PI100) and Treatment 5 involved a control with no chemical treatment (CONT). For each treatment, the per cent egg hatching rate, per cent survival to first feeding and notochord length at the time of hatching to the nearest 0.1 mm were recorded. Bacteria were also cultured from eggs after treatment to determine the effectiveness of each treatment in reducing the bacterial counts (CFU mL−1). Treatments F100, F1000 and CONT yielded the highest hatch rates for each species (70–80%), whereas treatments PI50 and PI100 yielded the lowest hatch rates (0–2%). There were no significant differences in survival to first feeding or notochord length, which suggests that the disinfection treatments did not have a negative effect on the yolk sac larvae. The PI50 and PI100 treatments had the lowest bacterial colony counts, showing almost zero bacterial growth. The highest bacterial growth occurred in the F100, F1000 and CONT treatments. Based on the results from this study, the F100 treatment provided the best balance of disinfection and larval health for CYT, WSB and HA.

Absiract-Cobia Rachycentron canadum juveniles ( I 19.7 mm TL, weight 8.5 g) were reared for 10 wk at three salinity levels: 5 ppt, 15 ppt. and 30 ppt. Growth and survival were determined through biweekly sampling. Blood samples obtained at termination of the study were analyzed to determine hematocrit, blood osmolality, and total protein. Results indicated that the overall growth of fish was significantly affected by salinity. Mean ( 2 SE) total length (TL) and weight of fish reared at a salinity of 30 ppt were 201.7 2 2.6 mm and 47.6 2 1.9 g, respectively, followed by fish reared at 15 ppt (182.2 2 1.7 mm, 34.1 ? 1.6 g). and 5 ppt (168.3 rt_ 5.8 mm TL, 28.3 2 2.3 g). Differences in specific growth rates among treatments for the 10-wk period were also significant. No differences were detected in mean survival among fish reared at salinities of 5, 15, and 30 ppt (84, 94, and 94%, respectively). However, fish reared at salinity 5 ppt appeared to be in poor health as skin lesions, fin erosion,