How big is our hobby?

[ERIfish]

Must be a problem with your browser. When I bring up the site there is a French and British flag under their logo.

 

[flameangel1]

or any place to click and I have tried everywhere-LOL !!

 

[flameangel1]

I use 'explorer"-- don't have netscape.
Is that the reason??

 

[ERIfish]

No idea. I use AOL which uses Explorer.

 

[Veng68]

Are you using Explorer 6.0? I've gotten in........ very interesting stuff.

Cheers,
Veng68

 

[SPC]

I get the same as you Judy .
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

I coundn't get the link to work at work. At home it does work. IE 6.0 on both machines I believe.

Here's a link to the first page after the British flag: http://www.aqua-fish.com/menu3.htm

Maybe this link will work for you guys. Now back to his site...

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

This page had the most information, in case you guy's still can't get the link to work:

SPC Live Reef Fish Information Bulletin #10

Reef fish post-larvae collection and rearing programme for the aquarium market
Vincent Dufour
AquaFish Technology SA, 21 Route de Lattes, 34 470 Pérols, FRANCE.
E-mail: [email protected]


Report on the first year of operations at the AquaFish Technology farm in French Polynesia
This reef fish and invertebrate post-larvae collection and rearing programme was launched in 1999 by AquaFish Technology, a company based in Pérols, France, with the establishment of the AquaFish Technology pilot farm on Moorea Island, French Polynesia.

Like most marine organisms, reef animals experience a pelagic dispersal phase at the beginning of their life cycle, in the form of countless larvae. The purpose of this project is to collect the oldest larvae (‘post-larvae’) as they return to the reef environment to develop into juvenile fish or benthic invertebrates.

The project was designed after a scientific experiment carried out in 1978 involving American, Australian and French scientists that had made it possible to quantify the mortality occurring after the colonisation of coral reefs by larvae. This experiment on a species of unicornfish (Naso unicornis) in Moorea, French Polynesia demonstrated that 90% of the larvae reaching the reef have disappeared one week after their arrival. It was calculated that post-larvae mortality during the first 24 hours was as high as 60%. This experiment was repeated at various time scales and on other species by the French team at Moorea, in order to validate the feasibility of collecting post-larvae prior to reef colonisation. In this way, fish that would not otherwise have developed were ‘saved’. Also, the reefs and their inhabitants remain intact, which is compatible with better conservation of fish already living in the protected marine area, which act as natural larvae spawners. The impact in terms of biomass loss for predators remains limited to the biomass taken, which is generally less than 1 kg per day.

Funding for this programme was provided by the AquaFish Technology company with assistance from the Agence française de l’innovation (ANVAR – French innovation agency) and the French Ministry of Research and Technology. In 2000, this technique was given ‘good coral reef practice’ status by the International Coral Reef Initiative (see their website: www.icriforum.org).

The pilot farm built in 2000 on Moorea Island was commissioned in late 2000 and production began on a regular basis early in 2001. The purpose of the farm was to demonstrate the technical and operational feasibility of this innovatory and environmentally safe process of exploitation and sustainable management of marine resources.

The commercial objective for the first year was the production of aquarium fish from collected larvae, essentially for the French market.

The collection technology is based on crest nets designed by the EPHE research team of Perpignan, France and the Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l’Environnement (CRIOBE, Moorea) extensively enhanced by AquaFish Technology.

A total of 25,000 aquarium fish were exported from French Polynesia to France in the first year. The fish were exported when they were fairly young so as to finish off their growth at a second AquaFish farm at Pérols. The first fish exported were low commercial-value species in order to test mortality at every stage of production. Then, once weaning and growth techniques had been mastered, exportation of the valuable species could begin.

Also, the number of fish post-larvae collected on the reef was much greater: some 50,000. Of this number, half were released alive on the reef because they were not export species. These species were predators such as snappers targeted by local fishers and species with no economic importance that could be re-introduced into this environment (cardinalfish, goatfish, etc).

As a result of the large numbers of fish released, AquaFish decided to develop the restocking activity by enabling species with potential value locally to be re-introduced into the environment after a short period of tank storage and feeding to satiation on live food. After having captured and reared thousands of post-larvae from over 150 species, we have clearly identified the transition stage from pelagic to reef behaviour for each species. We believe that the persistence of pelagic behaviour is highly prejudicial to the survival of fish in the natural environment and must be the cause of the very high predation observed during the early days of life. Thus, by keeping the fish for 48 hours in our farms and feeding them copiously on live food (plankton) we see the fish rapidly adapt to a benthic environment. They are then released into the natural environment. We are now going to monitor the fish released in 2002 with CRIOBE.

The species to be farmed showed promising growth rates. The great diversity of the species collected prompted us to implement multi-species rearing programmes, which is a new venture for aquaculture. However, we also noted the benefits of certain species associations. We worked extensively on weaning so as to deliver fish totally accustomed to inert food. To do so, we developed a specific feed making it possible to double the growth rate of certain species (damselfish and lionfish) as compared to rates obtained with industrial pellet-type feeds.

We also observed that the behaviour of species kept in captivity from the larval stage was like that of domestic animals. In other words, they behave differently from their older wild counterparts, even when they are kept under similar conditions. A striking example concerns the Holocentridae family, which lives in open water in aquaria, even when cover is available, and which are therefore more compatible with the interests of aquarium lovers.

Generally speaking, the species are more gregarious, accept much more varied food and are less sensitive to the stress effects engendered by this activity (especially delivery by air). The main consequence is a big reduction in mortality, usually 20–30% with this activity, which reduces in this case to 5%, for a much longer tank storage time.

Our efforts also revealed the essential influence of the quality of the environment for raising post-larvae. All the hatchery specialists know that water quality, food, light and other parameters (noise, daily feeding cycle) are essential to the development of the early larval stages. This is also true of reef fish post-larvae and water supply equipment must be top quality, otherwise many diseases may develop, in particular immediately after collection. These come from skin wounds or parasites.

The consequence is also that this type of collection work will continue for some time to be done by people with sufficient technical knowledge to handle it. The risk is of course that the larvae collected experience very high mortality, which would lead to overfishing to offset the losses. This would already appear to be the case for juvenile groupers (see article by Y. Sadovy, this bulletin, #8) while careful handling can considerably reduce mortality during collection and appropriate equipment can then provide suitable transport and tank storage.

Commercially speaking, the benefits of reef fish husbandry were enough to make the company well known quickly. Then the quality of our fish did the rest. Today, demand is much greater than what we can supply. This prompts us to develop a network of collection sites entirely based on this technique to expand and diversify our range.

As regards the other potential uses of this technique, we wish to develop the rearing of post-larvae of aquaculturally suitable species. We sold 4000 young groupers (Epinephelus merra, the only consumed local species) to a local fish farmer last year after one month of fattening. We also collect snappers, kingfish and other carnivorous species. However, French Polynesia is poor in sought-after species like the grouper, and we wish therefore to develop the local fattening of species like the unicornfish, which the local people like very much. The advantage of these fish is that they are herbivorous, meaning that they can reared with cheaper and more environmentally appropriate food than the trash fish. Also, contrary to the grouper, the herbivores are more gregarious and clean the tanks by browsing on the algae. Lastly, in addition to the local population, many Latin residents also like this kind of fish. Our activity will therefore diversify through the development of larvae from products with less added value than aquarium fish, but which are popular locally and which would also make it possible to develop a form of aquaculture compatible with cheaper feeds.

The programme in French Polynesia will continue in 2002 with the development of a second farm entirely based on this technique and which was built in record time, taking into account the experience acquired in Moorea. This farm already produces several thousand fish per month and in particular species in great demand on the aquarium fish market. The case of the butterflyfish, which is difficult to rear in captivity, is a good example. This family is not used by the local population and its price as a farmed fish makes it an asset in our activity. The fish have recently been offered on the American market on which French Polynesia, by its geographical location, possesses an undeniable advantage.

AquaFish Technology has developed a new generation of post-larvae collectors (crest nets, light-traps) that enable collection work to be done at many reef locations. The collectors who wish to use this promising and environmentally sound method will be able to capitalise on the experience and the unique technology of AquaFish Technology. The main benefit for local communities will be the truly sustainable development of this new use of reef resources, through respect for the fauna and its environment.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sounds promising. And it is named after one of our mega-squaters! :wink:

Louey

 

[FMarini]

Hi Mr ERIfish:
I was wondering if you had a chance to got thru and read our discussion we had a while back on larval raised fish Reason i ask is because this is a very interesting practice (collecting larval fish), and there were some unanswered questions which I thought could be nicely addressed by you.
Some questions which permeated the coonversation were:
*what are the survival rate of post larval captive raised fish?
*in regard to the hobbyists any guesstimate of survivability of these very small fish in the home aquarium.
* if you can explain the science behind "converting fish to eat new food sources and converting their gut in the process" -this is taken from FFexpress website .
(the actual quote is""This step actually causes the gastro-intestinal tracts of these fish to develop differently from their wild cousins, allowing these now captive specimens to assimilate the artificial food.) "

One of the large benefits of larval fish is the hope that obligate coralivores or obligate foods eaters could be trained to eat non-traditional foods (like flake or pellet) and this way we can provide proper nutriton. Do larval fish once converted to new fod types still retain their genetic imprinting for their original food? Case in point, a number of gorgous butterflies are obligate coralivores and next to impossible to keep in the home aquarium. Yet because of their beauty would be highly sought after fish.
I was wondering if you care to share some ideas and data on this point?
Thanks for your input into the conversaton
frank

 

[flameangel1]

erifish,,
Hi Rod,,
It's wonderful that you support larval reared fish.
I do know from my experience with larval raised from C-Quest, that they are MUCH hardier, and the mortality was nil, except for one shipping incident. (And we have no control over that part.)
How soon do you anticipate availablility to us retailers in America??

However, do you still continue to import fish from PI and Indo?? If so, doesn't that negate the "good" you're doing with the larval program?? Seems hypocritical, unless it's just a money thing, and if that's the case then it's perfectly understandable. However, if it's a protect the reefs thing, you should have no PI or INDO fish in your facility.

Do not mean to be rude here- but information is essential when one is researching suppliers.
Thank you .

 

[flameangel1]

Sorry, double post here, so deleted it.

 

[bstruss]

ERIfish,
Thats a very interesting operation and I will be following it with keen interest.

Back to the original question. Does it seem feasible that smaller operations in the US could get in on the action by engaging in post larval growout to market size? What would have to happen at this point for this to become a viable reality?

Thanks again everyone.
Bailey--

 

[dpetruescu]

Yes, I agree with what's been said and think that one day maybe smaller operations could suceed when and if post larval growout to marketable size becomes a reality. This link is one article that I read that alludes to a possible future niche.


Great timely subject as I have taken the plunge. Supported by my family and friends I have incorporated as Sustainable Reef Aquaculture Corp with a soon to be up website at http://www.sustainablereef.com. I a... a great job/career. I just love this stuff.

 

[ERIfish]

Hi Mr ERIfish:
I was wondering if you had a chance to got thru and read our discussion we had a while back on larval raised fish Reason i ask is because this is a very interesting practice (collecting larval fish), and there were some unanswered questions which I thought could be nicely addressed by you.
Some questions which permeated the coonversation were:
*what are the survival rate of post larval captive raised fish?

Very good once they are removed to an artificial rearing system and away from predation, pathogens, etc.

*in regard to the hobbyists any guesstimate of survivability of these very small fish in the home aquarium.

These fish are reared to be kept in home aquaria. They are tame and they readily and voraciously eat dry foods. As such their survival in captivity is nothing less than excellent.

* if you can explain the science behind "converting fish to eat new food sources and converting their gut in the process" -this is taken from FFexpress website .
(the actual quote is""This step actually causes the gastro-intestinal tracts of these fish to develop differently from their wild cousins, allowing these now captive specimens to assimilate the artificial food.) "

I am not sure of the exact physiology of the process, but Dr. Dufour has discovered that the fish do develop gastro-intestinally at a very early stage to assimilate whatever food they are encountering at that particular developmental stage in their immediate environment. Thus, if at that stage, they are being fed commercial dry foods their gastro-intestinal tracts will actually develop to assimilate these foods versus their natural diets. In this way obligate coral eaters can actually develop to be able to assimilate these commercial diets.

One of the large benefits of larval fish is the hope that obligate coralivores or obligate foods eaters could be trained to eat non-traditional foods (like flake or pellet) and this way we can provide proper nutriton. Do larval fish once converted to new fod types still retain their genetic imprinting for their original food? Case in point, a number of gorgous butterflies are obligate coralivores and next to impossible to keep in the home aquarium. Yet because of their beauty would be highly sought after fish.

See above. We have experimented with the tank-raised butterflies, placing them in tanks with corals. Not one of them picked at the corals, but continued to feed on the pellet food we offered to them. So, in answer to your question, yes there now is a way to keep butterflies and other obligate feeders.

I was wondering if you care to share some ideas and data on this point?
Thanks for your input into the conversaton
frank

Hope this helps Frank.

Regards,

Rob.

 

[ERIfish]

erifish,,
Hi Rod,,
It's wonderful that you support larval reared fish.
I do know from my experience with larval raised from C-Quest, that they are MUCH hardier, and the mortality was nil, except for one shipping incident. (And we have no control over that part.)
How soon do you anticipate availablility to us retailers in America??

However, do you still continue to import fish from PI and Indo?? If so, doesn't that negate the "good" you're doing with the larval program?? Seems hypocritical, unless it's just a money thing, and if that's the case then it's perfectly understandable. However, if it's a protect the reefs thing, you should have no PI or INDO fish in your facility.

Do not mean to be rude here- but information is essential when one is researching suppliers.
Thank you .
_________________
Judy,,

Dear Judy,

My background is in aquaculture and both my degrees are in that field. In fact I was a research biologist at a large aquaculuture facility before I became involved in this industry. So, you can see that my passion and interest is in aquaculture which makes it very easy for me to support and promote any of these efforts within our industry.

Just so you know, the so-called tank-raised fish that were being offered by C-Quest a while back (specifically blue hepatus tangs) were not larval-collected fish, but rather juveniles that were shipped from the Solomon Islands and then reared in captivity in Puerto Rico. I know this because I am friendly with the people who did this project. Not that there is anything wrong with that process, but some of the main benefits of the larval-capture program are that the larvae are netted before they suffer their natural attrition in the wild, thus actually preserving the natural resource rather than capturing the animals after this event (which is the same thing as netting adults if you think about it). Also, when the fish are captured as larvae their digestive physiology can actually be altered/pre-programmed, making them ideal aquarium pets. Not knocking C-Quest's program in ANY WAY, but this is a whole different thing we are promoting here.

Regarding your question as to availability, these fish ARE ALREADY AVAILABLE in the US. We import them and sell them to stores all the time and have been doing so for some time now. You can get them anytime you want.

Lastly, your point regarding the importation of wild-caught fish brings to the forefront the true nature of this industry. Much as I would LOVE to be able to sell only tank-raised/cultured animals in my business, the simple rules of business dictate otherwise. The fact of the matter is that while efforts like Dr. Dufour's are pioneering the introduction of tank-raised animals to the industry, there just are not enough species or numbers to support a business such as ours. Dr. Dufour is actually opening another facility in the Indian Ocean and we are talking about a 3rd in the Caribbean, but at this time we have to be contented with what he can produce. So, it is a slow process and we have to be patient. As the production increases, so we can decrease the amount of wild-caught fish we offer and surplant them with these beauties. My utopian view of the industry is one where every animal is cultured or tank-raised, but for now that is a work in progress. IMO at least we ARE doing our part to promote a viable and excellent alternative to wild-caught fish as we do with live rock, clams, and corals too. Unfortunately any business has to be concerned with economics, but this is definitely a preservation issue for me and one that I intent to pursue ardently in the future.

Regards,

Rob.

 

[ERIfish]

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2002 4:40 am Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ERIfish,
Thats a very interesting operation and I will be following it with keen interest.

Back to the original question. Does it seem feasible that smaller operations in the US could get in on the action by engaging in post larval growout to market size? What would have to happen at this point for this to become a viable reality?

Thanks again everyone.
Bailey--

Bailey,

I don't see why anyone with the requisite know-how and equipment should not be able to raise these larvae. The chief obsatcles will be to acquire and safely transport the larvae to these US operations. The next step will be to find the proper food size with adequate nutritional value to rear the larvae. None of these obsatcles appear to be prohibitive and I am sure that the future will see all of this happening just as asomatic coral propagation has taken off in the hobby in recent years.

Regards,

Rob.

 

[dizzy]

Folks,

There IS a source of excellent tank raised fish already on the market. All anyone has to do is buy them!! They aren't even that more expensive than wild-caught specimens and most of them cost the same as wild-caught animals. I know that I am not supposed to use this forum to plug products or companies, but when I read of the interest in obtaining tank-raised fish and the obvious lack of knowledge as to their availability, I just have to jump in. Anyway, if anyone is interested in these Tahitian tank-raised animals, please email me and I will tell you how to get them. OR, just look in the new product ad section of the October issue of TFH magazine. Someone is already producing these beauties - all you want and more to come with a new farm opening up in the central Indian Ocean (yes, tank-raised powder blue tangs and even Gemmatum tangs!!!!!).

Sincerely,

Rob Miller

Rob,

That's all exciting stuff. Do you plan on selling them mostly through retail stores, or do you plan on selling them direct to the hobbiest?

 

[ERIfish]

Our company only sells wholesale to stores and other distributors, but you can find these animals at some of the OLS's we sell to.

 

[Kalkbreath]

[quote,
even Gemmatum tangs!!!!!). GEM TANGS! Now your pulling my leg! The only way you can convince me is to send my store some aaaaat once! :wink:
_________________
1930 recession
_________________
Honda RVF400

 

[ERIfish]

The Gem tangs will come once the new Indian Ocean station is up and running. In the meantime there are a myriad of other species already available.