LARVAL REARING OF FLOUNDER, PLEURONECTES FLESUS LUSCUS, UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS

Larval rearing of flounder, Pleuronectes flesus luscus, under laboratory conditions

Temel Şahin

Central Fisheries Research Institute, Trabzon,TURKEY

Abstract

To establish a seed production technique for flounder Pleuronectes flesus luscus the eggs and larvae were observed under artificial rearing conditions. Larvae were obtained from eggs spawned artificially by tank-held broodstock. The egg fertilization rate varied from 35.3 to 59.2%. The fertilized eggs were approximately 1.15 mm in diameter, spherical, and without oil globule. From initial length of 2.7-3.1 mm on day 0, larvae grew to 10.4-14.0 mm on day 60. The feeding regime consisted of Nannochloropsis, Brachionus, Artemia, and granule feed. With this regime, survival rate were 9.6% at day 60. Larval mortalities considerably increased within two days after hatching and during later part of the larval rearing period between day 8 and day 12 and between day 35 and day 40. The present study demonstrates that adult flounder can be obtained from wild and broodstock management and artificial spawning in captivity, and larval rearing can be achieved successfully.

Keywords:  Flounder, Pleuronectes flesus luscus, survival rate, Black Sea, larval rearing, mortality