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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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The present study provides the complete report on the embryonic and larval development of pink ear emperor, Lethrinus lentjan (Lacepede, 1802). Eggs were obtained from captive‐reared broodstock of pink ear emperors from 1‐year of age maintained in a 10‐tonne recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). The brood fishes spawned throughout the year without hormonal induction. Fertilized eggs (692.65 ± 6.67 µm) were pelagic, transparent, non‐adhesive and with a single oil globule measuring 146.63 ± 3.51 μm. Description of the different phases of embryogenesis, namely the zygote, cleavage, blastula, gastrula, segmentation of the fish is provided. Additionally, the developments during larval development period after hatching, which extends till the completion of yolk‐sac absorption (pre‐larvae) and the end of metamorphosis (post‐larval) are also included in the present study. The embryonic development was completed within 14 h 40 min after fertilization. The newly hatched larvae had an average body length of 1.39 ± 0.08 mm, with a yolk sac measuring 787.67 ± 42.65 µm. The mouth opening was observed at 2 days post‐hatch (dph). The yolk sac was completely absorbed by 2 dph, and the preflexion stage began, and it continued till 14 dph. Notochord flexion began by 15 dph and extended to 20 dph. The appearance of the typical adult colouration and scale formation started by 22 dph and by 35 dph the larvae reached the juvenile stage. The data on the embryonic and larval development will help to standardize the larval rearing techniques for the species.