Development of the regal demoiselle Neopomacentrus cyanomos (Bleeker, 1856) from egg to maturation and spawning stage is described using hatchery reared specimens. Larval rearing of N. cyanomos was carried out using zooplankton as the starting feed up to the 10 th day post-hatch (dph). Larval and post-larval growth was studied for a period of 340 dph. Caudal fin rays began to develop from 8 th dph and the larval body depth increased considerably from 9 th dph onwards. Towards the 10 th dph, at about 5.7 mm total length (TL) half of the specimens underwent notochord flexion. Larvae exhibited decreased transparency with increased pigmentation of the pre-anal body, characterised by presence of stellate melanophores. Towards 15 th dph, the pectoral, pelvic, dorsal, anal and caudal fins were visible with fin rays. The soft dorsal fin started showing pigmentation from 20 th dph onwards and the spinous dorsal from 30 th dph onwards. Towards 30 th day, black pigments were found distributed all over the body. Pigmentation steadily increased from 30 th day onwards and the juveniles fully attained the adult pattern of body colouration by about 90-100 days. First spawning occurred on the 340 th dph at a size of 64-73 mm TL.

The marine ornamental fish trading industry is an ever-expanding one, as indicated by its bolstering statistics, which amount to about US$ 300 million. Although the trade is booming, the natural habitats that foster these fishes, such as coral reefs, are steadily declining. One of the reasons for this is the overdependency of the industry on wild-caught fishes. To surpass this, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has developed hatchery technology for breeding marine ornamental fishes such as seahorses, clownfishes, damsels, and serranids. It began with the breeding of Hippocampus kuda. This progressed to breeding clownfishes such as Amphiprion chrysogaster, A. ocellaris, A. nigripes, A. peridarion, and A. ephippium and Premnas biaculeatus. Damsel fishes that were bred successfully include Chrysiptera cyanea, C. hemicyanea Neopomacentrus cyanomos, N. nemurus, and Dascyllus carneus. The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) designed in the Vizhinjam Regional Centre of CMFRI is being used for broodstock development of serranids, tangs, squirrel fishes, and soldier fishes. A standard method was developed for captive breeding and hatchery rearing of anthias Pseudanthias marcia and P. squamipinnis in an advanced indigenous RAS system. The present article provides a bird’s eye view of the important research work done in India concerning marine ornamental fish breeding and reviews important breeding work carried out at Vizhinjam Regional Centre of CMFRI.

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