Sea Bass Aquaculture John Lawson

Species of Sea Bass Grown in Aquaculture Lutes calcarifer, Barramundi Dicentrarchus labrax, European Sea Bass Lateolabrax japonicus, Japanese Sea Bass Dicentrarchus punctatus, Spotted Sea Bass Centropristis striata, Black Sea Bass

Lutes calcarifer, Barramundi

Dicentrarchus labrax, European Sea Bass

Lateolabrax japonicus, Japanese Sea Bass

Dicentrarchus punctatus, Spotted Sea Bass

Centropristis striata, Black Sea Bass

Economical Importance High market value, more expensive than other fish. Grown in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and along the Atlantic Coast. No more than $10.00 per a pound. Economically important food fish all over the world depending on where they are grown and which species. Marketable size fish is around grams depending on species. For European Sea Bass annual production is around 60,000-65,000 tons.

Life Cycle and Larval Stages Fertilized eggs need 13 to 15 hours in 29 to 31 degrees Celsius seawater in order to hatch. Larva at 2.05 mm (1 day after hatching). Yolk absorbed. Larvae at 3.60 mm (10 days after hatching). Juveniles at 5.5 mm (18 days after hatching).

Life Cycle and Larval Stages 2

Reproduction in Captivity

Production Methods Hatchery Broodstock/Spawning Tanks – wild caught sea bass or ponds/cages. Used for reproduction of sea bass. Incubation Tanks – store and help fertilized eggs produce into larvae. Rearing Tanks – large enough larvae are transferred here for growth until they are large enough to be place in cages or ponds. Factors Species Production Target Level of Financial Input Salinity most have minimal fluctuation (28-32ppt) Site needs to be near sandy or rocky shore Spacious, flat, minimal water movement

Hatchery Broodstock/Sp awning Tank Incubation TankLarval Rearing Tank

Production Methods 2 After larvae have grown to large enough size. Nursery – for juveniles that are 1-2.5cm in length. Nursery Pond – pond culture specifically for juveniles. Nursery Net/Cage – net or cage specifically for juveniles. Concrete Tanks – should be avoided. Grow Out – juveniles reaching 8-10cm to market size. Cages – floating cages and stationary cages. Ponds – monoculture and polyculture. Intensive

Nursery Nursery PondNursery Cage

Grow Out Cages Stationary CageFloating Cage

Grow Out Ponds

Feeds and Feeding Larvae < 2.05mm – yolk sac Larvae > 2.05mm – zooplankton and phytoplankton such as diatoms, algae, small shrimp, and small fish. Rotifer and brine shrimp are commonly used as feed. Juveniles – Chopped up trash fish or brine shrimp. Adults – Chopped up trash fish.

Feed and Feeding Rotifer Brachionus plicatilis Brine Shrimp Life Cycle Artemia

Water Chemistry and Environmental requirements pH – 7.5 to 8.5 Dissolved Oxygen – 4 to 9 ppm Salinity – 10 to 30 ppt Temperature – 26 to 32 °C NH 3 – less than 1 ppm H 2 S – less than 0.3 ppm Turbidity – less than 10 ppm

Advantages vs. Disadvantages Advantages High market value. Economically important food fish around the world. More expensive than other types of fish. Variety of cultures used for growth. Large production rate. Can live in catadromous habitats. Disadvantages High levels of management. High operating cost. Land cost to start aquaculture farm is high. High labor and equipment cost. Cannibalism at young age. Breed during Winter and Spring. Inconsistent supply of fry collected from wild. Hard to start culture. Low survival rate for young. Food for larvae hard to manage. Culture cropping period 6 months at 2 cropping per a year.