Milkfish Hatchery

hfhdg

by: Genny E. Ladres

 Reproductive Biology
of Milkfish (Chanos chanos)

• is the sole living species in the family Chanidae.

• It is one of the most important food fish and protein
source in the world. It makes up about 40% of the
Philippine‛s total aquaculture production.
• It is carried out mainly in brackish water ponds.
production methods intensified and supplemental is
Increasingly use to supply the increasing demand.
• Maintain in ponds or net cages have been used to
reproduce the highly needed finger lings.
 Classification of Milkfish:
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Actinopterygii
• Order: Gonoryn chiformes
• Family: Chanidae (only species)
• Genus: Chanos
• Species: Chanos chanos
 Common name of Milkfish in many
countries:
• USA: Milkfish
• Japan : Sabahii
• Central taiwan : masaba
• south taiwan : Hi Tsu Hii
• China: Su Mu Yii
• Philippines : Sabalo,Bangus
• Hawaii : Pua Awa,Awa
• Indonesia : Bendeng Bolu
 Habits of Milkfish:
• Milkfish are herbivores and eat diatoms, blue,
green, algae, and occasionally some animals
such as nematodes and copepods.
• They feed throughout the year either at the
surface or on the both pond.
 Habitat of Milkfish
• Young milkfish migrate from the seas to the
coastal areas and may arc end estuaries, rivers
and lake before migrating back to the sea at
maturity benthopelagic , catadromous, fresh
H2o.depth range 10-13m.
 Biology of Milkfish
• Adults occur in small to large schools near the coastal or
around islands where reefs are well developed.
• Eggs and larvae are pelagic up to 2-3 weeks. Older
larvae migrate on shore and settle in coastal wetlands
during the juvenile stage or occasionally enter fresh water
lakes.
• Juvenile and sub adults return to sea where they
mature sexually. spawns only in fully saline water. larvae
eat zooplankton. juveniles and adults cyanobacteria, soft
algae, small benthic invertebrates and even pelagic fish
eggs and larvae.
• Larvae are collected from rivers and are grown in
culture ponds into juveniles which are marketed fish.
 Reproductive biology
Captive milkfish mature and spawn at 5 years of
age. Tank- or cage-reared adult milkfish weigh
around 2.5-9.0 kg. Among captive females, the ratio
of gonad weight relative to body weight
(gonadosomatic index, GSI) ranges from 0.05%
(immature) to 4.46% (mature) (Marte, 1989; Fig. 3).
In contrast, mature ovary can take as much as 25%
of body weight of wild-caught milkfish (Bagarinao,
1991). Captive females produce an average of
200,000 eggs/kg (Marte and Lacanilao, 1986).
 Spawning of Milkfish
• Maturation is reached rather week season, April-
July and September-November. Late in life at least
age 4 years in males and 5 or older in females.
• Fertilization in external, the eggs reign released in
the open sea near the shore do float to the surface.
• As many as 7million eggs have been estimated to
produce by a single large female.
• All attempts to obtain from females either by
natural spawning or by stripping in ponds have
failed.
• In others milkfish spawn only during summer.
Early development stage of young
milkfish:
• Blastula stage
• Eye-cup forming
• Pigmentation forming
• Body elongation
• Lath embryo
• Hatching

• Stage 1:yolk sac larvae(3.2-5.4 mm) 3 days

• Stage 2:pre flexion larvae(5.0-6.3mm)5 days
• Stage 3:flexion larvae(5.4-10.0mm)6 days
• Stage 4:post flexion/fry(6.4-14.9mm)7 days
• Stage 5:transformation(6.4-14.9mm)2-4 weeks
 Stocking:
• Fry can be stocked directly in the nursery pond
if the salinity of the water in which the
transported is approximately the same as the
salinity of the pond water.
 Stocking management:
• The density of fry in the nurseries is generally 30-
50 per m². some exchange of water may be needed
it is reported that the growth of Milkfish fry is
retarded at salinity above 45ppt.
• Favorable temperatures for growth are above
23˚c. artificial feeds like rice bream or dried cumut
are provide.
• In about one and half to two, the fry have growth
to a weight of 1-3g and are then either stock in the
rearing ponds or transferred to transition or
stunting ponds.
 Stocking density:
• Repeated stocking is done with fingerlings and
fry of different sizes.
• Stocking rates may be as follows:2000 to 2500
fish per ha.
For large over wintered fingerlings:1500to200
fish per ha.
For small:6000 to 7000 fish/ha.
• Some ponds are stocked at a low density for
4000 fry/ha. To ensure faster growth.
 Fry selection
• Fry should be healthy.
• Fry must be diseases free.
• It can tolerant environmental fluctuation.
• The fry captured are between 10-30mm in
length.
 Feeding of Milkfish:
• Fish feeds are 2 types, such as natural feeds –
plankton, benthos which is produced in ponds
by minoring.
• The other is supplementary feed such as rich
bran, wheat brand, sesame oil cake, mustard oil
cake, grasses etc.
 Monitoring:
• Environmental parameters such as water
temperature, salinity and pн should be checked
twice daily.
• MAINTAINING WATER QUALITY:
• Cleanliness must be strictly maintained to ensure
best results. constant vigilance is required to
prevent or control out breaks of disease.
• The wall of the tank should be cleaned with a soft
brush every third day.
 Health Management of Milkfish:
• 1:regularly have to control the water quality.
• 2:regularly have to given the supplementary
feed and life food.
• 3:have to observe the growth rate of milkfish.
• 4:have to maintain the pн temp. salinity etc.
• 5:regularly have to observe the fry to free
from discuses and parasites.
 Broodstock Management of Milkfish
Broodstock management includes collection,
selection, and domestication of brooders as well
as control of maturation, spawning and egg
collection.
It is mostly practised in sea cages in order to
ensure good water exchanged and healthy
environment. Brood fishes can be stocked at a
density of about 2kg/m3.
 Why develop milkfish breeders?
1. Population Growth – as population
increases, the higher the demand for food
consumption thus, there is a need for greater
fish production (Filipino’s main food is fish
together with rice).
2. Scarcity of Fry – diminishing supply of fry
from the wild by natural habitat destructions.
Milkfish (Chanos chanos)
Sole species in the family Chanidae.
Euryhaline
4-5 years – sexual maturity
 Holding Facilities for Broodstock
Land Based
Concrete Tank

Broodstock Tank 150m3 (ton)

Stocking density 60 pieces (1fish per 2m3)
Sex Ratio 1:1 to 1:2 (Female : Male)
Average Body Weight 6kg
 Routine Activities
•Daily monitoring of water parameters
(salinity and temperature) – twice a day
(am/pm).
Temperature: 26-32 degree celcius
Salinity: 29-34 ppt
•Daily siphoning of broodstock tanks
to eliminate/remove the uneaten feeds and
feces.
 Water Management
• Daily water change and water flow through
Broodstock tank (150 tons capacity)
→Open the valve of drain pipe and reduce water volume to 50%
(70 – 100cm of water depth) at around 8am.
→Adjust the height of aeration (end touching the bottom)
→Allow water flow through and adjust the valve of drain pipe (if
there ids sufficient supply of seawater)
→Fill up the tank with water from reservior
→Adjust the height of aeration to normal position and maintain
flow through of the water
 Water management

• Water Exchange rate

If the hatchery has sufficient seawater
supply, over 300% of daily water exchange in 24
hours is recommended.
 Tank cleaning
Once a month, scrubbing of tank walls and
bottom should be done. Reduce water volume
to 50% prior to cleaning to minimize stress on
breeders
 Egg collection
Setting the egg collector to egg collecting box
• The collector (net) should be clean at first, and then set into
egg collecting box before the expected spawning time (at 6PM).
At this time, close monitoring of fish behavior and activity should
be done (i.e splashing)
Egg collection
1st collection is usually between 3am-4am, and 2nd collection
between 5am-7am (Full Blast)
Scoop the eggs with hand net (fine mesh) and put in a pail
(10liters cap)
Apply mild aeration in a pail at the counting area
 Selection of Good eggs
• Stop aeration and remove the dirt using flat
scoop net.
• Collect the good eggs by pouring them into a
net to remove the water
Good quality eggs → float
Bad eggs → sink
 Cannulation of Breeders
Sex determinition is easier during the spawning months
of March to October.

Procedure
1. Fill one best tank with 500 liters of seawater
2. Place 100ml 2-phenoxyethanol with strong aeration
3. Put the selected breeders inside the tank
4. Allow some time for breeders to get sedated
5. After cannulation each breeder is placed in a recovery tank
Sex determination
 References:
BFAR NIFTDC, Broodstock Development and
Management and Sex determination of Milkfish
(Chanos chanos) Breeders
• Management of milkfish broodstock - Seafdec
/ AQD
• https://repository.seafdec.org.ph › handle