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Early-stage growth and survival of Centropomus nigrescens larvae (Actinopterygii, Carangaria incertae sedis, Centropomidae) reared under pilot-scale hatchery conditions

Abstract:

This study reports pilot-scale larviculture trials of black snook, Centropomus nigrescens Günther, 1864, a candidate species for aquaculture diversification in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Fertilized eggs (0.723–0.740 mm diameter) were obtained from spawning induced in broodstock captured from the wild as juveniles and reared in captivity for four years, exhibiting a spherical shape, transparency, buoyancy, and a single oil globule. Two larval culture trials (ER1 and ER2) conducted under hatchery conditions at 24.29 ± 0.13°C and 26.85 ± 0.18°C, respectively, employed a pseudo-green water technique and live feed protocols including enriched rotifers (20–40 ind · mL–1) and Artemia (0.5–4 ind · mL–1). Larvae were initially stocked at 10 larvae L–1 (ER1) and 60 larvae · L–1 (ER2). Growth followed an exponential model, with faster growth rate in ER2. Mean survival rates were 7.42% (ER1) and 6.84% (ER2) at the end of the trials. A total of 17 898 black snook juveniles were produced across both trials (60 and 45 days post hatch, respectively). Cannibalism, parasitic infections (Amyloodinium sp.), and skeletal anomalies were identified as the main bottlenecks affecting survival and juvenile quality. These findings provide preliminary operational insights and represent an initial step towards the development of larviculture protocols for this species.