Diversification has been suggested as
a potential tool to spurt out the freshwater
aquaculture production in Europe. Recent
research has demonstrated the feasibility
of cultivating intensively pikeperch
Sander lucioperca, a valuable
fish under increasing demand for both
the consumption (large size fish, 2-4
kg each) and the restocking (0+ and
1-year old fish) markets in Europe.
However, the supply of eggs and larvae
is still largely dependent on the spawning
of wild breeders or captive fish held
in ponds during the maturation process.
Production of pikeperch eggs and larvae
is thus seasonally restricted and extremely
variable in quality and quantity.
In order to support the development
and sustainability of pikeperch farms
recently established in several European
countries, the project will develop
reliable methods securing the supply
of high quality eggs and larvae of pikeperch.
To reach that goal, the following specific
activities will be conducted:
| 1.
Set up of technologies securing
the continuous supply of eggs and
larvae by inducing out-season spawnings
through temperature and photoperiod
control of broodstock maturation |
| 2.
Investigations on the effects of
different husbandry and dietary
variables on reproductive physiology
and nutritional status of breeders
and related effects on gamete and
larval quality |
| 3.
Comparison of the egg and larval
quality from breeders stocked in
various environments (tanks vs cages
vs ponds) |
| 4.
Set up of efficient procedure for
broodstock and larval rearing in
order to produce pikeperch sex-reversed
males and, in a second step, all-female
populations of juveniles |
To compare efficiently the effects
of the different variables on gamete
and larval quality, standardized
larval rearing conditions will be
precisely defined at the onset of
the project and applied to all experiments.
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