Culture protocols for the gulf coast pygmy sunfish, Elassoma gilberti

Abstract

AbstractIncreasing interest in native North American fishes for ornamental use provides opportunities for novel aquaculture endeavors. Elassoma gilberti is a brightly colored, small‐bodied, warm water fish native to the southeast United States that is currently traded as an ornamental species. Little information is available on the biology and ecology of Elassoma species, and empirical culture protocols have yet to be established. Here, we develop and experimentally evaluate culture protocols for E. gilberti, including spawning substrate preference, egg incubation and disinfection, larval dietetics, and larval growth and development. Broodfish preferentially spawned in artificial floating vegetation (yarn mops) when compared to benthically oriented bottle brushes and gravel beds. Embryos exhibited significantly higher hatch rates in static incubators (71.25 ± 22.5%) when compared to upwelling incubators (13.75 ± 7.5%). Hatch rates did not vary significantly following the exposure of embryos to various concentrations of formalin, iodine, and hydrogen peroxide, indicating the potential for safe use of these chemicals in production protocols. Larvae fed Artemia nauplii from first feeding to 18 days posthatch exhibited significantly higher growth than those fed three manufactured microparticulate diets, although survival did not vary among treatments. The results of these trials provide necessary information for the successful culture of E. gilberti, as well as valuable baseline data for captive rearing of other members of the genus.