Jade perch (Scortum barcoo) as a potential aquaculture species for

Singapore fish farmsLiangBing

SeniorScientist,MarineAquacultureCentreAgri-Food&VeterinaryAuthorityofSingapore

1Day1:5thOct2017

1. Background

2. Spawningofjadeperch

3. Larviculture

4. Salinitytolerancetrial

Outline

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BackgroundAVAVisionandMission

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Background

MarineAquacultureCentre(MAC)@SJI• AVA’sAquacultureResearchFacility• Spearheadtropicalaquaculturetechnologydevelopment

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Background

KeyR&Dinitiatives@MAC

TanksystemsatMAC Successfulbreedingoflocalpompanospecies

Asianseabassfingerlings

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Large-scalefryproductiontechnology

Aquaculturesystems

Developmentofnewspecies

BackgroundWhatisjadeperch?• Jadeperch(akaBarcoogrunter)isafreshwaterfinfishspeciesnativetoAustralia

• It’shardyandafastgrower(reachmarketsizein7months)

• Omnivorous:feedonzooplankton,smallcrustaceans,aquaticinsects,algae,etc

LakeEyrebasin

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Greenish,jade-likespeckle

Advantagesofjadeperch• HighOmega-3

• Highnutritionalvalue• Goodtaste• Highmarketvalue

Background

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• SourceofFish:Australia(importedasfry)

• Estimatedage(Dec2016):2years• Concretetank:13.5m3• Est.no.offish:30pcs• Density:2kg/m3• Feeding:Onceevery2dayswith

shrimp

Spawningofjadeperch

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Jadeperchatthefarm

Genitalpore UrinaryporeAnus Anus Urogenitalpore

Identificationoffemalesandmales1)Numberofvisibleopenings

Female Male

Spawningofjadeperch

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Identificationoffemalesandmales

Spawningofjadeperch

2)SizeAvgweightofmales=0.9kgAvgweightoffemales=1.2kg

3)Samplingofeggsandmilt:Femaleseggsize:~850um(uniformsize)Males:Flowingmiltwithgentlemassage(spermstopsmovingafter2mins)

5malesand6femaleswereselectedon12Dec2016

Male

Female

SpawningofjadeperchPITtagging,measurementandrecordofselectedbrooders

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PITtags(PassiveIntegratedTransponder)wereusedforindividualidentification

Samplerecordforeachindividualfish

HormonalInductionInjectionofOvaprim(SalmonGonadotropinReleasingHormoneAnalog20µg/ml+Domperidone10mg/ml)• 0.5mlperkgaspermanufacturerinstructions• Used1mlsterilesyringeand25Gsizeneedle• Intra-peritonealinjectioninsteadofintra-muscularinjection.• Temperature:27-29⁰C

SpawningtankInjectioncompletedat12Dec,11am(H-26)

Spawningofjadeperch

12*ToallowOvaprimtoreachroomtemperaturebeforeinjectiontoreduceviscosity

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SpawningofjadeperchEnvironment

GnRH(+)

Dopamine(-)

LH FSH

Brain

Pituitary

Gonad

AndrogensEstrogens

Progestagen

Fullgrowthgametes

Fertilegametes

LHRH-A

Domperidone

HCG SPE,CPE

Female

Estrogens

Liver

Ovary

Vitellogenin

Vitellogenesis

Oocytewithyolk

Progestagen

Finalmaturation

Male

Testis

Spermatogenesis

Androgens

Finalmaturation

Progestagen

Brain-Pituitary-GonadAxis

Stockingdensity:1,075eggs/L

Waterexchangerate:30%perhr

Spawningofjadeperch

➢ Spawning:26-28hoursafterinjection(13Dec,1pmestimated.H).➢ Intotal430,000fertilizedeggswerecollectedandstockedintoa400Lfiberglasshatchingtankafter

spawning.➢ Theeggshatchedat16-18hourspostfertilization.➢ Intotal202,500larvaehatchedout(46%hatchingrate)(14Dec,7amestimated.H).

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Successfulspawningonthenextday

Larviculture

1-cell stage(70 min) 2-cell stage(75 min) 4-cell stage(80 min) 8-cell stage(85 min)

Blastula stage(2.5 hr) Gastrula stage(6.7 hr)

Neurula stage(12.5 hr)

Blastula stage(3.5 hr) Blastula stage(4.5 hr)

Gastrula stage(7 hr) Neurula stage(8.5 hr) Neurula stage(10 hr)

Hatching (14.5 hr)

Newly hatched (18 hr)

Theaveragesizeofeggsandlarvaeis2mm

Differentstagesoflarvaedevelopment

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Larviculture

Tanktype Indoor/Outdoor

0.5m3fibertank Indoor

1.2m3fibertank Indoor

1.2m3concretetank Outdoor

StockingThelarvaewerestockedinto3differenttypesoflarviculturetanksatthedensityof15pcs/L

1.2m3fibertank0.5m3fibertank 1.2m3concretetank 16

LarvicultureLayoutoflarviculturetanks• DIYtopfiltersandspongeair-liftfilterswereusedtomaintaingoodwaterquality• Watertemperature:25-29⁰C• pH:7.8-8

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Larviculture

0dph

Rotifers

2dph 4dph

Moina

Dryfeed

Harvestingrotifersfromtheponds Sizecomparisonbetween4dphlarvaeandunfilteredMoina

7dph 14dph

3dph

8-9dph

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Feedingoflivefeed

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Larviculture

Gradingandweaning Cannibalismobservedsince7dph

• Intotal13,000frywereweanedtodryfeedat15dph.

• Gradingwasdonetoseperatefishofdifferentsizes.

Summary• Feedingofrotiferanddryfeedcanstartfrom3dphand9dph.• Jadeperchwashighlycannibalisticfrom7dph.• Tankswithlongerexposuretodirectsunlightandhighertemperaturehavevisuallyfastergrowth.• Usingbiggertanksforlarviculturearerecommendedasthewaterparameterstendtobemorestable.

Futureimprovement• Rotiferproductiontobesetup• Indoorhatchery• Nutritionalrequirementsofthelarvaetobeinvestigated

Larviculture

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Culturejadeperchinbrackishorseawater?• Investigatethesalinitytoleranceofjadeperch• InvestigatetheeffectsofsalinityonjadeperchgrowthperformanceExperimentdesign:• 50pcsofjadeperchina2.5tontank• 5experimentaltankswithdifferentsalinities

Salinitytrial

Tk430ppt

Tk325ppt

Tk220ppt

Tk110ppt

Tk5Reservoir

Tk6Backupfish

Tk70ppt

(control)

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SalinitytrialTransferofjadeperchfingerlings

➢ Changewaterpartiallyforafewtimestoallowthefishtobeslowlyacclimatizedtonewwaterenvironment

➢Quarantinedfor1month22

Salinitytrial

Tank1(10ppt)

0

2

3

5

6

0

8

15

23

30

1 4 7 10 13 1619 22 25 28 3134 37 40 4346 49 52 5558 61 64 6770 73 76 7982 85 88

Salinity NO2

Tank2(20ppt)

0

1.3

2.5

3.8

5

0

7.5

15

22.5

30

1 4 7 10 13 1619 22 25 28 3134 37 40 4346 49 52 5558 61 64 6770 73 76 7982 85 88

Salinity NO2

Tank4(30ppt)

0

1

3

4

5

0

8

15

23

30

1 4 7 10 13 1619 22 25 28 3134 37 40 4346 49 52 5558 61 64 6770 73 76 7982 85 88

Salinity NO2

SalinityacclimatizationandnitritespikesTank3(25ppt)

0

1.3

2.5

3.8

5

0

7.5

15

22.5

30

1 4 7 10 13 1619 22 25 28 3134 37 40 4346 49 52 5558 61 64 6770 73 76 7982 85 88

Salinity NO2

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Salinitytrial

Mortalityduringacclimalzalon

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

0ppt 10ppt 20ppt 25ppt 30ppt

Intotal2,3,4pcsoutof50fishdiedfrom20,25and30ppttreatmentgrouprespectively.Thereisnomortalityfrom0ppt(control)and10pptgroup

Thejadeperchwereacclimatizedto30pptwithmorethan90%survivalrate.

• Timetaken:89days(stopped30daysduetohighnitritelevel)

• Survivalrate:

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Completionofsalinityacclimatization

TankNO.

Finalsalinity Survivalrate

1 10 100%

2 20 96%

3 25 94%

4 30 92%

7 0 100%

Samefeedingamountforalltanks： 1-2%bodyweight

Salinitytrial

Tank# Tk1 Tk2 Tk3 Tk4 Tk7

Salinity(ppt) 10 20 25 30 0

BodyweightAvg(g) 22.6 22.5 22.1 21.4 23.7

TotallengthAvg(cm) 11.5 11.3 11.2 11.3 11.6

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89BodyweightAvg(g) 72.9 64.7 71.5 61.6 69.1

TotallengthAvg(cm) 16.2 15.3 15.5 17.6 15.7

Measurements Day

25

Salinitytrial

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PreliminarydataanalysisRelativegrowthratein97days

Tank# Tk1 Tk2 Tk3 Tk4 Tk7

Salinity(ppt) 10 20 25 30 0

Weightgain(g) 50.3 42.2 49.4 40.2 45.4

Weightgain% 222.57% 187.56% 223.53% 187.85% 191.56%

TotalLengthGain(cm) 4.7 4 4.3 6.3 4.1

TotalLengthGain% 40.87% 35.40% 38.39% 55.75% 35.34%

Fishat10pptgrewabout30%fasterthanfishinfreshwaterafter2.5months.

Summary:• Jadeperchwasacclimatizedtofullseawater(30ppt)with>90%survivalrate• Lowgrademortalityassociatedwithhighsalinitystresswasobservedwhensalinityis≥20ppt.• FishinGroup20,25and30ppthavegraduallyhigherstresslevelsbasedonobservationoftheirlessactivefeedingresponseandbehavior• Wealsoobservedreducedfeedingamountin25and30pptgroupscomparedtoothergroups.

Salinitytrial

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Futureplan:• ContinuetomeasureandcomparegrowthrateandFCRinthenext5months• Optimizetheprotocolofsalinityacclimatizationtoshorterthetimeneeded• Conductfieldtrialsinseanetcagesandlandbasedfarms

Salinitytrial

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Thankyou!

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