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.

The effect of different fat sources on the egg quality of grouper, Epinephelus suillus eggs was evaluated. Fish in three tanks, each containing 3 females and 1 male, were fed various types of feeds namely: trash fish (control), trash fish + cod liver oil (treatment 1) and trash fish + SELCO, a lipid emulsion containing high levels of highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) (treatment 2). Approximately 77.9 million eggs spawned from January to October 1992 by the control group, 40.0 million by fish in treatment 1, and 36.4 million by the treatment 2 group. Egg production (0.45 million eggs/kg BW) among the control group was significantly higher than treatment 2. Egg production of treatment 1 (0.06-0.36 million eggs/kg BW) was not significantly different (P<0.01) from the control group nor treatment 2 (0.02-0.30 million eggs/kg BW). Fertilization and hatching rates showed significant differences among the three groups with control > treatment 1 > treatment 2. There were no differences detected in the egg and oil globule diameters among the treatments. Crude protein and lipid levels of floating (good) and sinking (bad) eggs collected in February to March 1992, and August to September 1992 were similar in all treatments. Unfed larvae from treatment 1 survived until the fifth day after hatching while those in the control and treatment 2 groups lasted only until the third day. These results suggest that supplementation of cod liver oil and SELCO in the trash fish diet of E. suillus broodstock does not influence egg production, fertilization and hatching rates, and egg quality.

Recent progress undertaken by SEAFDEC/AQD in the development of broodstock of a variety of cultured fish in the Philippines is reviewed. Spontaneous maturation and spawning has been achieved among captive breeders of grouper, milkfish, sea bass, rabbitfish, and tilapia. Hormonal intervention methods have been developed mainly to accelerated final gonadal maturation to synchronize release of mature gametes, and to control sex inversion among hermaphroditic fish such as grouper. These methods entailed the development of gonadal biopsy procedures and hormone administration protocols such as mode on introducing a variety of exogenous hormones to fish, administration intervals, and lately response times.Enhancement of reproduction by improving the diet fed to Nile tilapia, rabbitfish, and milkfish breeders has also been achieved in recent years. Protein or lipid enrichment of the diet may enhance growth of broodstock to subsequently increase reproductive performance and fry survival.Limited success has been achieved with photoperiod manipulation to effect year-round sexual maturation and spawning of milkfish and sea bass broodstock.

Wild-caught fry of the green groupers, Epinephelus malabaricus and E. suillus ranging in standard lengths (SL) from 1.5 to 3.0 cm were bought from different fry dealers all over the Philippines. These were reared from 1.0 to 2.5 months in 10 to 40 m3 (small) concrete tanks, in 240 m3 (large) concrete nursery tanks with sandy bottom, in 10 m3 hapa nets installed either in large nursery concrete tanks with sandy bottom or in 0.8 to 1.0 ha earthen ponds. The initial stocking density was 33-150/m3. When the fingerlings reached 5 to 7 cm SL, these were harvested and stocked in cages. The wild fry were fed adult brine shrimps for the first few days and later, trash fish. Rearing water in small concrete tanks was changed daily while that in large nursery tanks and hapas was changed only when dissolved oxygen level was about 4 ppt or lower. Survival rates ranged from 3% to 64%. Although survival rates varied, rearing grouper fry in hapa nets installed in earthen ponds were found to be the most suitable for the commercial production of grouper fingerlings to a size suitable for stocking in cages. The large variation in survival rates is attributed mainly to the quality of wild fry bought from different fry dealers all over the country and the occurrence of diseases during the culture period. The problems encountered in the commercial production of fingerlings are discussed.

A pathohistologic study was conducted to determine the effects of nickel on the testes of maturing Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus. The fish were treated with 0.5 mg/L and 1.0 mg/L sublethal dose of nickel sulphate for four weeks. A week reduction in spermatogenic activity together with the disintegration of seminiferous tubules and spermatocytes are commonly observed in the 0.5 mg/L-treated fish. This results in the scattering of germ cells and the occurrence of spaces within the spermatocysts. Pyknotic nuclei are also seen in some specimens. Connective tissues and blood cells invade the damaged regions of the organ. Enlargement of Sertoli cells and interstitial cells are also observed. These effects are more pronounced in the 1.0 mg/L-treated testes. Relatively low levels of nickel in aquatic ecosystems impose a great danger to the reproduction and survival of Mozambique tilapia.

The influence of amount and type of lipid given to milkfish broodstock by developing larvae was investigated by feeding broodstock commercial diets that differed in lipid content and composition. The two commercial feeds used had the following proximate composition: RFP - 28.16% crude protein, 2.40% crude fat, 7.58% crude fiber, 53.94% N-free extract; RCP - 43.28% crude protein, 4.58% crude fat, 6.18% crude fiber, 37.0% N-free extract. The lipid content and fatty acid composition of spawned milkfish eggs reflected that of the broodstock feed. Percent lipid in egg from broodstock fed RFP and RCP dropped by 22.5% and 26.9% in newly-hatched larvae and by 53.0% and 65.0% in day 2 larvae (>90% yolk resorbed), respectively. Decreases in total PUFA and increase in monoenoic fatty acids during yolk resorption indicate that milkfish as in other marine fishes utilize PUFA during early larval development. While differences in rate of utilization of individual n-3 and n-6 FA in two groups of larvae seem to be influenced by levels of the fatty acids in eggs, the influence of other nutrients on fatty acid utilization need to be investigated.