Mesocosm: A Reliable
Technology for Larval Rearing of Diplodus puntazzo and Diplodus
sargus sargus
N. Papandroulakis, M.
Kentouri, E. Maingot, P. Divanach-2004
Aquaculture International, 12
(4-5): 345-355
Abstract:
Species diversification is today considered as a major
issue for the sustainable development of the Mediterranean aquaculture. For
successful propagation of any species however, larval rearing is considered
a bottleneck and therefore the development of appropriate tools is
essential. Mesocosm is a semi-intensive technology that facilitates larval
rearing of several species integrating principles of both intensive and
extensive aquaculture, which solves biological problems and many of their
technical, human and economical consequences. The extensive (and now even
the semi-extensive) strategy is used in the most critical segments of the
rearing process during the early developmental stages, when larvae are still
extremely weak, sensitive to intensive environment, easily stressed and
difficult to feed. The intensive strategy is used as soon as larvae are
considered mature enough to be reared easily using classical methods. The
technology was used for the rearing of two species, with potential for
aquaculture, the sharpsnout seabream (Diplodus puntazzo) and the
white seabream (Diplodus sargus sargus). Three groups of each
species were monitored for a period of 50–70
days post hatching. Survival for both species was about 54% at the end of
the trials. Sharpsnout seabream larvae reached 19.6 ±
0.9 mm total length and 107.2 ± 31.9 mg body
weight 50 days post hatching. White seabream larvae 60 days post hatching
reached 32.7 ± 2.7 mm total length and 450 ±
70 mg body weight. In order to verify the economical viability of the
technology, the individual production cost for each species was estimated
and reached ¢0.027 for white seabream and ¢0.043
for sharpsnout seabream. Results indicate the reliability of the technology
for the larval rearing of the two species.
(Hellenic Centre for Marine Research,
Institute of Aquaculture, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Crete, Greece,
e-mail: upap@her.hcmr.gr)