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CULTURE OF RED SNAPPER (LUTJANUS CAMPECHANUS)
Thesis   Open access

CULTURE OF RED SNAPPER (LUTJANUS CAMPECHANUS)

Suzanne Marie Gibson
University of West Florida
Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida
2008

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Abstract

Red snapper are one of the more economically important finfishes in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). Potential stock enhancement efforts to aid in the recovery of this overfished species have been hindered by significant mortality occurring shortly after larvae begin first feeding. I examined the ciliate Strombidinopsis sp. and a natural assemblage of other ciliates as suitable first food for larvae. Results suggest that while ciliates may have a small affect on larval survival, the most significant determinant may have been mortality due to ammonia (r2=0.90). In the second component of my thesis research, I tested whether otolith elemental:Ca ratios and 13C and 18O values could distinguish wild from hatchery produced juveniles. I obtained otoliths from hatchery (n=60) and wild fish (n=135) collected from the northern Gulf. One sagitta from each fish was ground to a fine powder and analyzed with isotope ratio-mass spectrometry (IR-MS) to examine 13C and 18O values. The second otolith was dissolved in ultrapure nitric acid (HNO3), and analyzed with sector field-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS) to examine elemental:Ca ratios (Ba:Ca, Mg:Ca, Mn:Ca, Sr:Ca, and Pb:Ca). Significant differences existed in otolith elemental:Ca and stable isotope signatures between hatchery and wild juveniles (MANOVA: Pillai’s Trace; p < 0.001). Linear discriminant function classification accuracies (mean = 99 %) suggest otolith chemistry may be employed as an effective natural tag to distinguish hatchery from wild-produced fish if and when red snapper stock enhancement efforts expand.
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