World Aquaculture Magazine - September 2021

WWW.WA S .ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • SEP TEMBER 2021 25 Beginning in 2006, CEINER designed and built two semi- submerged fish reproduction tanks on the seabed, with a capacity of 100 m 3 and 150 m 3 . These tanks have an egg collection system, electric pumps for the supply of sea water and an aeration system (Fig. 3). In 2008 and 2011, CEINER, together with the Colombian Aquaculture Research Center (CENIACUA), received training in marine fish reproduction techniques at the University of Miami, United States, and, in 2012 in Thailand, on grouper reproduction techniques. These capacity-building trainings complemented the necessary knowledge of the staff to begin managing and handling the broodstock. Anesthetizing these giant fish is absolutely necessary prior to handling, cannulating, sampling for gametes and so forth. These steps were necessary to continuously select mature males and females and manage them in the broodstock tanks (Fig. 4). Due to their enormous sizes, managing, sampling and handling goliath grouper broodstock represents a real challenge. ( C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 2 6 ) FIGURE 3. Broodstock holding tanks for goliath grouper of 100 and 150 m 3 at the Oceanario in Isla Rosario, Colombia. FIGURE 4. Research team handling and sampling broodstock goliath grouper at the Oceanario, Islas del Rosario. The logistics are complex and catching and handling these enormous fish prior to anesthetizing them has proven to be difficult and dangerous. FIGURE 5. F1 Goliath grouper broodstock kept at CENIACUA and Benchmark Genetics Colombia laboratory in Punta Canoa, Cartagena.