Larviculture of marine fishes at SEAFDEC/AQD

Abstract

The recent glut in the world market for shrimp dealt a heavy blow to the aquaculture industry. It is thus apparent that fish farmers should not depend on only a single species for culture. The popularity and market demand for grouper, sea bass, and snapper make them obvious choices as alternative culture species. On the other hand, milkfish and rabbitfish are cheaper sources of protein and they already contribute substantially to fish production from aquaculture--56.2% from milkfish for example (Rabanal 1988). However, culture and production of marine fishes are hindered by the unpredictable and seasonal seed supply. Research on larviculture at SEAFDEC/AQD are geared towards hatchery production of fry to augment supply from the wild.