The continued application of genome research to aquaculture will provide unprecedented accuracy for genetic selection of performance and production traits.
Although researchers have studied the roles of lipid-soluble vitamins in larger fish, limited information exists on the functions and dietary requirements of these nutrients in marine fish larvae.
The Ecofish project is developing the commercial rearing of Ballan wrasse and methods for use of the fish to control sea lice in cod and salmon cages.
Research has shown that an extended photoperiod for Atlantic cod females leads to reduced gonadal growth, faster body growth and shorter grow-out production periods.
The chemical communicators pheromones can be used to induce increased feeding activity in a range of farmed species. Preliminary commercial testing with pheromone feeding stimulants sprayed onto the surface of water prior to feeding found better feed utilization in fish and better water quality. Pheromone applications also produced shrimp that were 30 percent larger than the control shrimp and had a significantly faster rate of growth.
By combining husbandry practices aimed at stress reduction with better disease management higher barramundi survival rates will be the likely result.
Vaccination combined with good disease management can improve fish survival, improve feed conversion, reduce costs and secure predictable production.
In a study in Indonesia, increases in efficiency in power use resulted from the combined application of biofloc technology and partial harvest.
Cost-effective seedstock supply is needed for commercial production of sea urchins. Metamorphosis from free-swimming planktonic larvae to benthic grazers has presented a significant challenge.
Some transgenic fish – lines of “high-growth” tilapia, salmon and carp – are nearing the stage at which they could be considered for commercial production.
Modular production of channel catfish offers better inventory control, takes advantage of early-age growth rates and reduces harvest-size variation.
U.S. demand continues for largemouth bass in sport fish stocking and live markets, whereas Asian consumers prefer live largemouth over most freshwater fish.
United States government inspectors use their highly trained noses to determine whether imported seafood should enter U.S. commerce.
Flavor is an important seafood quality attribute that can be affected by preharvest conditions. Off-flavors are a result of natural enzymatic, oxidative and bacterial spoilage processes.
With a range of positive attributes, pangasius has become one of the largest aquaculture commodity products in the world. The fast-growing fish resist low dissolved oxygen at high stocking densities and require little fishmeal in diets.
Higher production typically results in higher profits at channel catfish farms, but ponds must be individually managed to maximize production.