SPAWNING OF PIGFISH Orthopristis chrysoptera FOR THE MARINE BAITFISH INDUSTRY

Unlike the well established production of freshwater baitfish, commercial scale marine baitfish culture in the US is still very much in its infancy as an industry.  In addition to providing a consistent supply of high quality product to consumers, marine baitfish culture would also reduce pressure on wild stocks of these particular species.  Currently, the only live baitfish available in coastal areas is natural production harvested from bays and inshore areas. Captive year-round spawning could provide anglers with live bait outside the natural season of availability.

Several marine species have been identified as viable candidates for culture, one of which is the pigfish Orthopristis chrysoptera.  During the last five years, our researchers have collected wild broodstock, cultured F1 broodstock, conducted larval and juvenile grow-out studies, and observed volitional spawning of pigfish both during and outside the regular season induced by photoperiod and temperature manipulations.  A summary of the observations and data generated during that time will be the topic of the presentation.