Wild-caught mangrove red snapper, Lutjanus argentimaculatus, reared for a year in 4.0 m diameter by 1.5 m deep circular concrete tank spontaneously matured and were used for induced spawning trials. On 19 August 1992, a sexually mature female (4.6 kg BW) and male (3.2 kg BW) fish were given a single intramuscular injection of 1500 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)/kg BW. Spawning occurred 27 h after injection with total egg collection of 1.3 M. Hatching occurred 16 h after spawning at 28 °C and 32 ppt. On 18 March 1993, the same male and female together with a newly-caught spermiating male (6.3 kg BW) were injected intramuscularly with 100 µg luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue (LHRHa)/kg BW. Spawning occurred 44 hours after injection with the total egg collection of 0.7 M. Hatching occurred 16 hours after spawning at the same temperature and salinity as the first trial. The successful spawning trials encourage further research to determine the effective minimum dose of hCG and LHRHa.

Changes in steroid hormone levels in the serum and ovarian fluid were studied during overripening in goldfish. Ovulated eggs retained in the ovarian cavity become overripe at around 12 h after ovulation and completely overripe 24 h after. Blood and ovarian fluid were taken at 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h after ovulation. Estradiol-17ß (E 2) , testosterone (T), progesterone (P) and 17α,20ß-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17α,20ß-P) in the serum were extracted directly with a solvent while those in the ovarian fluid were separated by HPLC before radioimmunoassay. Both serum and ovarian fluid P showed a highly significant decline at 18 h with a further decline at 24 h; P levels were higher in the ovarian fluid. Serum 17α,20ß-P showed a progressive and more rapid decline, decreasing significantly at 12 h with further decreases at 18 h and 24 h; the level was five-fold lower at 24 h compared to the 0 h level. Serum T increased significantly at 3 h which was maintained until 18 h, when it declined to 0 h level. No significant changes in E2 were observed in the serum, except for a significant difference between 6 and 24 h. There were no significant changes in E2, T and 17α,20ß-P in the ovarian fluid. Of the four steroids measured, only 17α,20ß-P and P showed changes which bear some correlation with the time course of overripening. The declines in the mean ratios of 17α,20ß-P/E2 in the serum and P/E2 in the ovarian fluid also appeared to have a good correlation with the time course of overripening. The postovulatory follicles (POFs) showed degenerative features which likewise correspond to the decline in P and 17α,20ß-P.

Venturing into the aquaculture sector especially in pond and cage culture is a step that has been taken up by entrepreneurs and traditional fishermen of Sabah. However, shortage in the supply of fish fry is a stumbling block to the progress of the industry. The Sabah Fisheries Department has taken steps to overcome this problem by setting up a hatchery with the objectives to transfer know-how on hatchery technologies to the private sector besides producing fry for distribution. The Tanjong Badak multi-species hatchery is a newly established hatchery, completed in mid-1990. The species reared for production purposes are tiger shrimp and finfish which include red snapper, grouper, sea bass and polkadot grouper. The Department has not close to producing sea bass fry. Shrimp fry at juvenile stages (PL 40) are distributed as subsidies to local fish farmers while some are reared at the Department's various cage and pond culture projects. Limited success in producing grouper and red snapper fry have been achieved to date. The incidence of very low fertilization rates of eggs coupled with low survival rates are major problems facing the hatchery. In conclusion, the Sabah Fisheries Department's experience in fish larval rearing is still limited. Greater scientific research and studies need to be carried out to improve further the performance of the hatchery to achieve the target of fry sufficiency for the aquaculture industry.

The application of the bioencapsulation technique as a tool for curative treatment in fish larvae was investigated. Antibacterials, trimethoprim (TMP) and sulphamethoxazole (SMX), incorporated in an oil emulsion (SELCO, Artemia Systems N.V., Ghent, Belgium) were bioencapsulated at different concentrations (20% and 40%) in Artemia (Instar II) nauplii. Chemotherapeutics-loaded nauplii were fed to European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) larvae only once at 5 individuals/ml. Larvae were sampled after feeding at time intervals 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 h. Drug concentrations in the larval tissue were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results indicated that larvae fed 40% "medicated"-Artemia assimilated significantly higher levels of chemotherapeutics in the tissue as compared with those fed 20% "medicated"-Artemia. Chemotherapeutics given at higher concentration (40%) reached peak levels (19.3 µg TMP/g DW, 23.32 µg SMX/g DW) in the larval tissues within 2 h while at lower concentration (20%) peak levels (8.74 µg TMP/g DW, 6.73 µg SMX/g DW) were observed within 5 h. Moreover, TMP persisted longer (>72 h) in the tissues than SMX (12-16 h) suggesting a more efficient uptake and retention of TMP and/or faster metabolism and elimination of SMX.

Natural spawnings of four Epinephelus species reared in the laboratory were observed from 1987 to 1992. These species are: E. summana, E. caeruleopunctatus, E. macrospilus and E. fuscoguttatus. Spawning was serial, usually occurring at night, on or 1-6 days after the new moon. Egg characteristics of these four species were compared. Fertilized egg and early larval development of E. summana and E. fuscoguttatus are discussed.

The effects of crude pituitary extract (CPE) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on germinal vesicle migration and ovulation in lampan sungai Puntius schwanenfeldii (Bleeker) were investigated. Sexually mature female lampan sungai were divided into four groups (n=3 per group). In both experiments, fish were injected intramuscularly (im) once and were checked for germinal vesicle migration and sign of ovulation 8 h following injection. In experiment 1, females were treated with CPE at doses of 2, 4, or 6 mg/kg body weight (BW) while controls were administered an equivalent volume of saline. Ovulation occurred in one fish given 2 mg/kg and in another fish that received 6 mg/kg CPE. In a second experiment, female fish were administered hCG at doses of 1000, 2000, or 4000 IU/kg body weight. Similarly, controls received only saline. One female injected with 4000 IU/kg hCG responded positively to the hormone treatment. Clearly, in our study, a single intramuscular injection of CPE and hCG induced spawning in lampan sungai as well as accelerated oocyte development as evidenced by the increasing percentage of oocytes showing germinal vesicle migration.

Tilapias are important foodfishes in the Philippines second only to milkfish. While farming of tilapias in freshwater ponds and cages is already established, there is a need for wider application of the available technologies for brackishwater culture. This paper presents the tilapia species used for brackishwater farming and the commercial methods applied for their hatchery/nursery rearing.

The first part of the study investigates the ability of ovine growth hormone (oGH) to enhance the hypo-osmoregulatory and growth performance of juvenile brown trout after exposure to sea water (SW). Three groups of fish were either intraperitoneally implanted with cholesterol pellet (sham) or with a cholesterol pellet containing 250 µg oGH (treated) or not implanted (control). While still in fresh water (FW), gill Na+/K+ATPase activity of the oGH-treated group was four times higher than that of sham and control groups. Exposure to SW resulted to dramatic increases in plasma electrolyte levels of the sham and control groups, whereas the oGH-treated group showed only minor perturbations in plasma electrolyte concentrations. Further increases in gill Na+/K+ ATPase activity were observed in the oGH-treated group after SW exposure, while in the sham and control, a lag time of seven days was needed before gill ATPase activity started to increase. Additionally, by the end of the experiment, oGH-treated fish were significantly larger than non-treated ones. The second part of the study examines the time course of changes in plasma GH levels and GH free binding sites and affinity of the organs involved in osmoregulation in juvenile brown trout kept in FW or exposed to SW. Plasma GH levels increased significantly one day after SW exposure, reaching a peak on the 14th day. Concomitantly, GH free binding sites in the gills and liver decreased significantly in trout exposed to SW but remained unchanged in trout kept in FW. Reduction in GH free binding sites in SW-exposed trout indicates occupation of the gill and liver GH receptor by GH during the course of SW adaptation which may point to a direct role of GH on gill and liver physiology during hypo-osmoregulation. The second part of the study examines the time course of changes in plasma GH levels and GH free binding sites and affinity of the organs involved in osmoregulation in juvenile brown trout kept in FW or exposed to SW. Plasma GH levels increased significantly one day after SW exposure, reaching a peak on the 14th day. Concomitantly, GH free binding sites in the gills and liver decreased significantly in trout exposed to SW but remained unchanged in trout kept in FW. Reduction in GH free binding sites in SW-exposed trout indicates occupation of the gill and liver GH receptor by GH during the course of SW adaptation which may point to a direct role of GH on gill and liver physiology during hypo-osmoregulation.

A preliminary feeding experiment was conducted to determine growth and survival of milkfish larvae reared on various feeding regimes involving the use of artificial diets. Two larval diets (Feed A and Feed B) containing 45% protein and 10% lipid were fed either alone or in combination with Brachionus from day 8 to day 21. The feed in the control treatment were Brachionus (10 ind/ml) from day 8 to day 14 and Artemia (2-3 ind/ml) from day 15 to day 21. Larvae in all treatments were fed Brachionus (10 ind/ml) from day 2 to day 7. No significant differences were observed in survival rates, total length, wet weight and dry weight among fish fed combination of Brachionus and Feed B and the control feed (Brachionus and Artemia). These promising results indicate the possibility of using Feed B as partial replacement or supplement to live food. However, lowest survival rates, total length, and weight were obtained in fish fed either Feed A or Feed B alone, indicating that the test artificial diets given solely to milkfish larvae starting from day 8 can not support good growth and survival. Further studies on the development of improved artificial diets for larval milkfish need to be done.

With economic development and increased demand for high price fish, industrial scale marine finfish culture in Japan was started in 1960-1965 for yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata. Sustainable supply of wild juvenile and development of floating cage with synthetic fiber net have spurred the culture of nearly 30 species and total production in 1991 is 265 x 103 metric tons (nearly 25% of total aquaculture production). Although salmon ranching had been started in 1888, a national project of ocean ranching was only initiated in 1963 with the present target of 26 species of marine finfish. Ocean ranching aims to increase fisheries resources in coastal sea by stocking hatchery-reared juveniles and preservation of environmental capacity and habitat. Therefore, mass production of marine finfish juveniles is being done for the intensive culture in net cage and for stocking coastal sea in Japan. Nearly 200 million juveniles are produced by ocean ranching centers (14 national, 49 prefectural, 21 city and town, 53 fishermen's association). The number of target fish is about 60 species (excluding salmon and trout). The main species produced are red sea bream, Pagrus major, flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, puffer, Takifugu rubrapes, rockfish, Sebastes shlegeli, and mud dab, Limanda yokohamae. More than one million juveniles of these species are produced at one hatchery or ocean ranching center per one fry production season. About 70% of total production of juveniles consist of red sea bream and flounder. Red sea bream could be used to introduce mass larval rearing technology in Japan since its mass production is well developed. The focus of the present paper is the present status and short history of the development in larval rearing technology for red sea bream.