Facilities And Methodology For The Culture Of The Southern Sea Bass (Centropristis melana)¹

Abstract

A closed system was designed for mass culture of marine finfish larvae. Southern sea bass (Centropristis melana) brood stock were collected in the Gulf of Mexico during January‐March, 1975, their natural spawning season. Brood stock were maintained in a simulated spawning environment of 17–19 C temperature and 10 hr L:14 hr D photo‐period. Vitellogenesis of ovarian oocytes remained in the tertiary yolk globule stage in females held under these conditions and males would release milt freely upon manual stimulation. Final oocyte maturation and spawning were induced with Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and manual spawning techniques. Approximately 2,500 larvae were reared in three trials using 2,000–liter silo tanks with biological filtration. Laboratory reared rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) were solely used as food the first 4 days after feeding began. Wild plankton, rotifers, Artemia nauplii, and prepared flake were also used as larvae developed. Greatest larval survival from hatching was 10.0%. Larvae grew from 2.78 mm to 9.0 mm in 24 days; the greatest growth rate occurred after day 14. Physiological edema was observed in two trials affecting 30–50% of the larvae. Physiological edema appears to be the principal constraint to successful rearing of sea bass larvae.

Dispersal of black sea bass (Centropristis striata) larvae on the southeast U.S. continental shelf: results of a coupled vertical larval behavior – 3D circulation model

“…, 2006b). Particles were released at times and locations specified by an adult spawning model (as described below) and advected for assumed larval durations ranging from 20 to 35 days (Table 1, Roberts et al. , 1976).…”

“…The buoyancy of preflexion larvae is unknown, but buoyancy regulation through swim‐bladder inflation and deflation begins to develop in preflexion stages (Govoni and Hoss, 2001). Thus, preflexion larvae were modeled as neutrally buoyant and yolk‐sac larvae were modeled with linearly decreasing buoyancy from 0.3 cm s −1 to neutral over the 3 day yolk‐sac stage (Roberts et al. , 1976; Tucker, 1988).…”

“…It is in the preflexion stage that the differences in larval behavior reflected in scenarios A–E first become apparent. Stage durations of either 12 days (A, C) or 15 days (B, D, and E) are assumed for the time it takes the larvae to grow to ∼6 mm and enter the post‐flexion stage (Roberts et al. , 1976).…”

“…The post‐flexion stage is assumed to be reached once a larva is either 17 days (A, C) or 20 days (B, D, and E) post spawning (≈6 mm SL). In the model, the length of this stage is either 5 or 7 days and reflects the length of time it takes a larva to grow to ∼10 mm (Roberts et al. , 1976; Berlinsky et al.…”

“…Particles were released and tracked in a 3D circulation model with the Lagrangian particle tracking algorithm described in Blanton (1993) and enhanced to account for differences between modeled and observed wind stress on the Georgia shelf (Edwards et al, 2006b). Particles were released at times and locations specified by an adult spawning model (as described below) and advected for assumed larval durations ranging from 20 to 35 days (Table 1, Roberts et al, 1976). During the tracking, the vertical positions of the particles, or the 'larvae', were determined with models of larval fish vertical behavior.…”