MASS-PRODUCTION OF STRIPED PATAO EUGERRES BRASILIANUS JUVENILES IN CUBA

Two spawning and larval rearing trials with striped patao Eugerres bra silianus were conducted at Tunas de Zaza, Cuba, to develop a method fo r experimental-scale mass production of juvenile fish. Mature striped patao were captured from coastal lagoons in September 1988 and January 1989. Sexually mature females and males were induced to spawn by trea tment with human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). After spawning, eggs we re collected and placed in 1.2-m(3) cylindroconical fiberglass incubat ors at densities of 150 and 200 eggs/L. About 1 h before hatching, egg s were transferred to 5-m(3) concrete tanks. Larvae were fed a mixture of marine microalgae, rotifers, copepods, and Artemia nauplii; artifi cial food was supplied at 30 d post-hatch as a shrimp diet with 25% pr otein and 0.1-0.4 mm particles. Fourteen of 20 females spawned after 2 or 3 HCG injections (total dose = 6-10 IU/g body weight). Fecundity w as 467-2,167 eggs/g body weight. Egg incubation time in seawater (38-3 9 ppt salinity) was 15-17 h at 29-30 C and 21-23 h at 25-26 C, with 98 -100% hatching rate. The oil droplet and yolk sac were consumed by 3 t o 5 d post-hatch and first food (rotifers) was eaten during second day . High larval mortalities began after the first month. Growth in 39- p pt seawater was faster (0.41 +/- 0.01 mm/d) at 29.1 +/- 0.3 C than at 25.2 +/- 0.2 C (0.27 +/- 0.008 mm/d). Overall survival was 6-12.5% wit h final densities of 5-10 juveniles/L after 48-60 d. A total of 132,00 0 juveniles was harvested from the two rearing cycles.