Possible applications of modern fish larviculture technology to ornamental fish production

There has been rapid development in the marine foodfish larviculture technology in Europe since the early eighties, especially in the flat fish, turbot and halibut, and the bass and bream species. The most significant improvements in the eighties were the introduction of light control, artificial reproduction techniques, appropriate water treatment and the use of rotifers and Artemia nauplii of specific sizes and in the late eighties and early nineties the quality enhancement of live food organisms using specific enrichment techniques. Present research is focused on the implementation of several microbial techniques to improve the hygiene of live prey and fish. Many of the modern larviculture techniques being used in marine foodfish could be adapted for application in the ornamental fish industry. For examples, research in the Ornamental Fish Section, Primary Production Department, Singapore has demonstrated that the use of freshwater rotifers and Artemia nauplii would enable artificial rearing of Discus in the absence of the parent fish and improve the larval performance of Gouramis and Tetra larvae. The use of such small live food organisms is likely to facilitate breeding of new fish species with small larvae. Research has also indicated that the use of diets containing vitamin C and certain immuno-stimulants improved the stress resistance of guppy. Such techniques would have important application in the fish transport, an important aspect in the ornamental fish industry