Natural spawning of the bluefin trevally Caranx melampygus in captivity
Abstract
The bluefin trevally, Caranx melampygus, adapts well to captive conditions. Females averaging 3389±425 g and 52.1±2.8 cm fork length (FL) spawned naturally during their second year in captivity at The Oceanic Institute in Hawaii. Spawning of bluefin trevally occurred mostly during the summer (May to August) and to a lesser extent in the winter. The bluefin trevally is a multiple spawner. Females spawned eight times during the season with intervals as short as 5 days. Spawning occurred at night, typically clustered within a few consecutive or alternate days. A female is capable of producing 1545 eggs per gram body weight or approximately 6,062,000 eggs each year. Spawns seemed to be not related to lunar cycles, although most were recorded during the third and fourth (new moon) lunar quarters. Average spawned egg diameters ranged between 0.721 and 0.787 mm. Results from this two-part study indicated that the bluefin trevally, C. melampygus, is a suitable species for captive breeding programs.
- Publication:
-
Aquaculture
- Pub Date:
- 2001
- DOI:
- 10.1016/S0044-8486(01)00621-4
- Bibcode:
- 2001Aquac.203..159M
- Keywords:
-
- Bluefin trevally;
- Caranx melampygus;
- Reproduction;
- Lunar phases