Investigations of selected parameters for growth of larval and juvenile black sea bass Centropristis striata L.

The black sea bass Centropristis striata L. endemic to the U. S. Atlantic a nd Gulf of Mexico coasts is a highly sought species that commands a high pr ice in the marketplace. Investigations were undertaken to determine the bas ic requirements for culture of sea bass larvae and juveniles. Adult black s ea bass were captured from the wild and were found to be robust and to adap t well to captivity. Larvae were obtained by strip spawning of these adults and survived and grew at higher rates in seawater supplemented with algae (greenwater) and maintained at 22 C, than in seawater with or without suppl emental algae at 18 C. Larvae were provided a diet of rotifers through 12 d post hatch (DPH) and weaned over a 3-d period to enriched Artemia replenis hed daily to a density of 10 individuals/mL. By 18 DPH, larvae began ingest ing a formulated diet for marine finfish and were completely weaned from li ve feed by 25 DPH, which coincided with the onset of metamorphosis. Juvenil es tolerated a range of salinity from 10-32 ppt with the highest growth rat e observed at 20 ppt. Culture of larvae and juveniles on a commercial scale was successful using conditions similar to those employed in the laborator y. The findings presented here suggest the potential for commercial culture of this species in the USA.