Bell et al.--Growth of snapper in captivity

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

Growth of snapper, Pagrus auratus, from south-eastern Australia in captivity

J. D. BELL

N. QUARTARARO

G.W.HENRY*

Fisheries Research Institute
NSW Agriculture and Fisheries
P. O. Box 21, Cronulla, NSW 2230, Australia
*Present address: State Pollution Control Commission, 157 Liverpool St, Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia

Abstract This study aimed to determine whether the relatively slow growth of wild Pagrus auratus in south-eastern Australia can be increased in captivity to a rate acceptable for aquaculture. Juvenile snapper from Port Hacking, New South Wales (34°47'S) were reared at ambient water temperatures. The fish were fed on a dry, sinking pellet with 42% protein. At the start of the trial in April 1989, the snapper had a mean fork length (FL) of 121 ± 11 mm SD, an average weight of 50 g, and an estimated age of 8 months. After 12.5 months their mean FL was 249 ± 15 mm and their mean weight was 403 ± 70 g. Our data indicate that, like the reproductively isolated population in Japan, growth of Pagrus auratus from Australasia can be rapid enough for aquaculture, and that there is potential to increase growth rate further.

Keywords snapper; Pagrus auratus; Sparidae; growth; aquaculture Received 19 November 1990; accepted 15 February 1991

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