MARINE BAITFISH

EXAMPLE OF MARINE BAITFISH CULTURE:
PINFISH
Pinfish spawn fall/winter offshore with a peak in February and March. They are
sexually mature at ~4 inches (~100 mm) total length. Fecundity ranges from 7,000
to 90,000 eggs/female. Ambient temperature and light cycles during spawning season
should be ~72°F (22°C), 12L:12D. Photothermal regimes may be altered for offcycling.
Use water with a salinity of 35 g/L. Feed brood fish twice daily to satiation a
combination of squid, krill, and a 2.0 mm slow sinking pellet.
Examine for gamete development by abdominal palpation to check for flowing sperm
or conduct an ovarian biopsy using a teflon catheter tube (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Ovarian biopsy of a pinfish.
At the time of injection, eggs should be > 500 µm and vitellogenic. Biopsies indicate
pinfish exhibit multi-batch, group synchronous reproduction (Figure 2). Human
Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG, Chorulon®) can be used to induce spawning. Eggs
are usually collected 48 and 72 hours after injection. A hydrated egg will be about 1
mm in diameter (Figure 3). (continued on next page)
Figure 2. Pinfish exhibit multi-batch, group
synchronous reproduction.
Figure 3. A hydrated pinfish egg is 1 mm in
diameter.
29