Program and Abstracts(PDF)

A low-head recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) for the production of Florida pompano,
Trachinotus carolinus, from juvenile to market size was evaluated. The 32.4 m 3 RAS consisted
of three dual-drain, 3-m diameter culture tanks of 7.8 m 3 volume each, two 0.71-m 3 moving bed
bioreactors filled with media (67% fill with K1 Kaldness media) for biofiltration, two degassing
towers for CO 2 removal and aeration, a drum filter with a 40 micron screen for solids removal,
and a 1 hp low-head propeller pump for water circulation. Supplemental oxygenation was
provided in each tank by ultrafine ceramic diffusers and system salinity was maintained at 7.0
g/L. Juvenile pompano (43 g mean weight) were stocked into each of the three tanks at an initial
density of 1.7 kg/m 3 (300 fish/tank). After 306 days of culture the mean weight of the fish
harvested from each tank ranged from 589 to 655 g with survival ranging from 57.7 to 81.7%.
During the culture period the average water use per kg fish was 3.26 m3 or 1.82 m 3 per harvested
fish. Energy consumption per kg fish was 47.2 kwh or 22.4 kwh per harvested fish. The mean
volumetric TAN removal rate of the bioreactors was 127.6 ± 58.3 g TAN removed per m 3
media/day with an average of 33.0% removal per pass. Results of this evaluation suggest that
the system modifications are warranted to enhance production to commercial levels (>60 kg/m 3 ).
Riley, K.L., C.R. Weirich and D. Cerino. 2009. Development and growth of hatchery-reared
larval Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus). Fishery Bulletin 107:318-328.
Although the Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) is a prime candidate for aquaculture, the
problematic production of juveniles remains a major impediment to commercial culture of this
species. In order to improve the understanding of larval development and to refine hatchery
production techniques, this study was conducted to characterize development and growth of
Florida pompano from hatching through metamorphosis by using digital photography and image
analysis. Newly hatched larvae were transparent and had a large, elongate yolk sac and single oil
globule. The lower and upper jaws as well as the digestive tract were not fully developed at
hatching. Rotifers were observed in the stomach of larvae at three days after hatching (DAH),
and Artemia spp. were observed in the stomach of larvae at 14 DAH. Growth rates calculated
from total length measurements were 0.22 ±0.04, 0.23 ±0.12, and 0.35 ±0.09 mm/d for each of
the larval rearing trials. The mouth gape of larvae was 0.266 ±0.075 mm at first feeding and
increased with a growth rate of 0.13 ± 0.04 mm/d. Predicted values for optimal prey sizes
ranged from 80 to 130 μm at 3 DAH, 160 to 267 μm at 5 DAH, and 454 to 757 μm at 10 DAH.
Based on the findings of this study, a refined feeding regime was developed to provide stageand
size specific guidelines for feeding Florida pompano larvae reared under hatchery conditions.
Cossins, A.R. and D.L. Crawford. 2005. Fish as models for environmental genomics. Nature
Reviews: Genetics 6(4):324-333. doi:10.1038/nrg1590.
Genomic approaches using fish promise increased investigative power, and have already
provided insights into the mechanisms that underlie short-term and long-term environmental
adaptations. Environmental genomics explores how the genome interacts with and integrates
cues from the environment to produce both the effects of environmental stress and adaptive
responses to this stress. This approach can provide a description of genes involved in metabolic
and osmoregulatory functions important for adaptation of Florida pompano and other euryhaline
marine species to low-salinity culture conditions. These responses can then be correlated with
phenotypic responses at the whole animal level; thus, providing greater insight into the ability of
marine fishes in general, and Florida pompano in particular, to adapt to low salinity culture.
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