Spawning induction and large-scale collection of fertilized eggs in captive Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L.) and the first larval rearing efforts

Metrio, G. De; Bridges, C.R.; Mylonas, Constantinos C.; Caggiano, María Armanda; Deflorio, M.; Santamaría, N.; Zupa, Rosa; Pousis, Chrysovalentinos; Robert, Vincent; Gordin, H.; Corriero, Aldo

doi:10.1111/j.1439-0426.2010.01475.x

Cited by 33 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In another experiment in Italy, a captive stock of Atlantic bluefin tuna was induced to spawn using the same GnRHa therapy, which resulted in spawning of 20 million eggs over four consecutive days (De Metrio et al, 2010). The estimated fertilization rate was 80% for the first two days and 30% for the next two.…”

Section: Towards a Sustainable Aquaculture: Control Of Reproduction Imentioning

confidence: 99%

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus) Farming and Fattening in the Mediterranean Sea

Mylonas

Gándara

Corriero

et al. 2010

Reviews in Fisheries Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is one of the tunas with the highest commercial value and it is supporting the capture-based tuna aquaculture industry in the Mediterranean Sea. This is a seasonal activity and it involves the capture of fish from the wild and their rearing in sea cages for periods ranging between 3 months to 2 years. Short-term rearing is done mainly to: (a) achieve a greater body fat percentage and (b) obtain a better price by not flooding the market in the brief fishing period. Due to the increasing fear of a collapse of the fishery, the International Commission for the Conservation ofAtlantic Tunas currently reduced the total allowable catches for 2010 to 13,500 mtn from 32,000 mtn previously. Therefore, there is great interest in establishing a proper and sustainable tuna aquaculture industry. This necessitates the development of specific technologies for tuna aquaculture that will not rely on captured individuals from the wild, as it is practiced today. This article reviews the methods used for the farming and fattening of the species in the Mediterranean Sea, and the current status of the efforts at controlling reproduction in captivity.

show abstract

Section: Towards a Sustainable Aquaculture: Control Of Reproduction Imentioning

confidence: 99%

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus) Farming and Fattening in the Mediterranean Sea

Mylonas

Gándara

Corriero

et al. 2010

Reviews in Fisheries Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In other trials, the fertilization rate of captive tunas has been reported to vary between 30% and 80% in hormone-induced spawning adults (De Metrio et al 2010, De la Gándara et al 2010. We used this range in the mortality estimations to address the worst-case scenario, though we observed that most eggs spawned in the cages were fertilized, so we believe that stress did not affect fertilization rates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…We assumed that eggs hatched two days after their sampling (Gordoa et al in prep. ) and simulated two scenarios assuming 30% and 80-90% of hatching rate corresponding to the minimum and maximum rates reported in the literature for viable eggs (De Metrio et al 2010, De la Gándara et al 2011.…”

Section: Mortality Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These farms receive up to 99% of the catch of the purse-seine fleet and hence a great number of mature tuna are transported every year from the spawning areas to the coast (Ottolenghi 2008. Some successful spawning induction experiments carried out in captive tuna in nearshore cages initiated wide research programmes on the development of rearing techniques in the laboratory to produce fingerlings using fertilized eggs from spawning in nearshore cages (Mylonas et al 2007;De Metrio et al 2010). Natural spawning activity has recently been reported during the transportation of adults from fishing grounds to the nearshore cages (Gordoa et al 2009) and also in nearshore cages out of the usual spawning sites , De la Gándara et al 2011.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hatching rates in captive tuna induced to spawn can vary from 30% to 80% in Malta (De Metrio et al 2010), with an average hatching rate of 58% (Selfdott 2012). In natural spawning events in captive tuna a range of 30% to 85% has been reported depending on the temperature (Selfdott 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

First attempt to assess the viability of bluefin tuna spawning events in offshore cages located in an a priori favourable larval habitat

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARY: Most of the Atlantic bluefin tuna caught by the purse-seine fleet in the Mediterranean Sea are transferred alive into transport cages and towed to coastal facilities where they are fattened. This major fishery is targeting aggregations of reproductive bluefin tuna that continue spawning within the transport cages. Our study is the first attempt to assess the viability of the spawning events within transport cages placed offshore in a priori favourable locations for larval survival. The study was conducted in June 2010 in the Balearic Sea, a main spawning area for bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean. The location of two transport cages, one with wild and one with captive tuna, coincide with the situation of the chlorophyll front using satellite imagery as a proxy for the salinity front between resident surface waters and those of recent Atlantic origin. The results showed that bluefin tuna eggs were spawned almost every day within the two cages but few or no larvae were found. The expected larval densities estimated after applying mortality curves to the daily egg densities observed in the cages were higher than the sampled larval densities. The trajectories of the eggs after hatching estimated from a particle tracking model based on observed geostrophic currents and a drifter deployed adjacent to the cage suggest that larvae were likely to be caught close to the cages within the sampling dates. Spawning events in captive tuna in transport cages may hatch into larvae though they may experience higher mortality rates than expected in natural populations. The causes of the larval mortality are further discussed in the text. Such studies should be repeated in other spawning areas in the Mediterranean if spawning in cages located offshore in areas favourable a priori for larval survival is likely to be considered a management measurement to minimize the impact of purse-seine fishing on tuna.Keywords: bluefin tuna, larvae, geostrophic currents, transport cage, Mediterranean. RESUMEN: Primer intento de evaluación de la viabilidad del desove de atún rojo en jaulas en alta mar ubicadas en un hábitat a priori favorable para las larvas. -La mayor parte del atún rojo atlántico capturado por la pesquería de cerco en el mar Mediterráneo es transferido vivo a jaulas de transporte y remolcado a instalaciones de engorde localizadas en la costa. Esta importante pesquería tiene como objetivo las agregaciones de reproductores de atún rojo que continúan aún su puesta en las jaulas de transporte. Nuestro estudio es el primer intento de evaluar la viabilidad del desove que tiene lugar en jaulas de transporte que están localizadas en alta mar en zonas que a priori favorecen la supervivencia larvaria. La zona de estudio está situada en el mar Balear, una de las zonas de puesta de atún rojo más importantes del Mediterráneo, en junio del 2010. La ubicación de las dos jaulas de transporte, con atún recién capturado y en cautividad respectivamente, coincide con la situación del frente de clorofila utilizando imágenes de satélite como...

show abstract

Current status and future perspectives of Italian finfish aquaculture

Parisi

Terova

Gasco

et al. 2013

Rev Fish Biol Fisheries

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Currently available data show that shell-fish and finfish production in Italy, derived both from fisheries and aquaculture activities, is on the order of 474,000 tons, each activity representing 50 % of the total amount. In this context, the finfish aquaculture industry contributes on average 31 % to the national aquaculture production and on average 59 % of its value, giving a total amount of 72,000 tons and a value of around 351 million € (2010). According to FEAP statistics, Italy is the fourth largest finfish producer in EU27, after the UK, Greece, and Spain, while it is also one of the six largest finfish producers among the nonEU and EU member countries, together with Norway, UK, Greece, Turkey, and Spain. Presently, fish culture\ud activities are mainly focused on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, 55.5 %), followed by European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, 13.6 %), gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, 12.2 %), gray mullet (Mugil cephalus, 5.3 %), sturgeon (Acipenser spp., 2 %), and European eel (Anguilla anguilla, 1.7 %). Over the last 20 years, freshwater fish production and aquaculture (trout, carp, and eel) have decreased in Italy, with the exception of sturgeon. In contrast, marine fish production has significantly increased during the same period, and the two leading species, European sea bass and gilthead sea bream, presently contribute 25.8 % of the finfish production. From 1,900 tons in 1990, production reached 19,000 tons in 2010, with a 900 % increase, at an average percentage of 4.5 %. In addition, new marine fish species were successfully cultured over the same period. This\ud review outlines the past and present situation of finfish culture in Italy and discusses future developments and priorities, with particular emphasis on new, emerging aquaculture species

show abstract

Spawning induction and large-scale collection of fertilized eggs in captive Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L.) and the first larval rearing efforts

Cited by 33 publications

References 10 publications

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus) Farming and Fattening in the Mediterranean Sea

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus) Farming and Fattening in the Mediterranean Sea

First attempt to assess the viability of bluefin tuna spawning events in offshore cages located in an a priori favourable larval habitat

Current status and future perspectives of Italian finfish aquaculture

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About