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Reproduction Behavior and Larval Rearing of theTomato Anemonefish (Amphiprion frenatus)

  • Date:2009-06-30
  • Volume:17
  • No:1
  • Page:39-51
  • Auther:Yuan-Shing Ho, Sheng-Chung Shih, Ming-Jong Cheng,

Tomato anemonefish (Amphiprion frenatus) broodstock under artificial environment have ovulated 21 times, from January 2 to November 20, 2006. The average spawning intervals were 16.4 days on water temperature 24 ~ 30 ℃. The timing of spawning started from 09:20 to 17:30 with a peak from 10:10 to 14:30, and the spawning behavior lasted for an hour. About 800 ~ 2,500 eggs were released in each spawning. Those adhesive demersal eggs were reddish orange and oval with size about 2.65 ± 0.32 × 1.04 ± 0.07 mm (Mean ± SD). The yolks were about 1.97 ± 0.34 mm in length diameter and the newly hatched larvae were about 4.48 ± 0.17 mm in length. Parental care behaviors mainly carried out by males, for females and males 7.67 ± 2.40 times per 30 minutes and 56.92 ± 13.14 times per 30 minutes, respectively. The hatching time decreased with increasing water temperature. At 7th day post hatching (DPH), the body color of larvae turned to reddish orange. At 11th DPH the body appears 2 white streaks and symbiosis with sea anemones. Live feed for the initial larvae stage was rotifer and copepod. In addition, microalgae were added to stabilize water quality and to nourish rotifers. A fixed feeding time was applied. At the 18th DPH, pellet diet could be applied to the fry. The 260th DPH juvenile (55.57 ± 2.91 mm) has the same pattern of bands and color with adult.