WOLFFISH AQUACULTURE: WHERE TO NOW?
J.A. Brown-1998
Bulletin of the Aquaculture Association of Canada, Edition 98-1: 34-35
Excerpts:
There has been active interest in Atlantic wolffish (Anarachius spp.) aquaculture in Newfoundland since the late 1980s. Although most of the work has centered on the stripped wolffish (A. lupus), adult spotted wolffish (A. minor) have recently been collected and held in captivity. The spotted wolffish is the preferred species for culture as grown rates are reported to be much higher than in the stripped wolffish.
Eggs are large (approximately 6 mm in diameter) and adhesive after release from the female. The cluster of eggs needs to be broken into small egg masses so that they can be incubated in standard incubators used for salmonids. Incubation time is prolonged, 7 to 9 months at ambient Newfoundland seawater temperatures. Incubation time can be shortened, however, by increasing the water temperature. Periodically the eggs require disinfection which can be easily done in flow-through systems.
Newly hatched larvae are large, 20 mm in length, and have very small yolk-sacs. They can be fed Artemia at the onset of start-feeding. In my laboratory, survival of over 80% through the larval stage has been achieved by providing prey densities of around 1,000 Artemia/L and offering dry feed from the second week onwards. Larvae will self-wean at an age of about 4 wk and Artemia can be discontinued by 6 to 7 wk post-hatched. Temperatures of between 6 to 8 C and light intensities of about 2000 lux result in survival of over 80% through the larval stage.
(Ocean Sciences Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada A1C 5S7)