The SEAFDEC/AQD experience in stock enhancement

The Aquaculture Department (AQD) of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) started stock enhancement activities in 2000 as part of the Coastal Fishery Management Project in Malalison Is., Culasi, Antique, Philippines (SEAFDEC/AQD 1998). This was the same year as the Bangkok Declaration and Strategy for Aquaculture Development (NACA/FAO, 2000), which affirmed the potential of stock enhancement to increase fish supply. Since then, research on seed production, and release and monitoring strategies has been initiated on the abalone (Haliotis asinina), seahorses (Hippocampus barbouri, and H. kuda), mud crabs (Scylla serrata, S. olivacea and S. tranquebarica), top shell (Trochus niloticus), and window-pane oyster (Placuna placenta). Closing the life cycle and mass production of juveniles have been attained for most of these species, but actual releases have been conducted only for abalone and mud crabs. In this review article, we describe the present situation of stock enhancement of abalone, mud crab and seahorse at AQD

Improved reproductive performance of tiger tail seahorse, Hippocampus comes, by mysid shrimp fed singly or in combination with other natural food

The brood size, parturition frequency and parturition occurrence of tiger tail seahorse, Hippocampus comes were evaluated for 180 days using single and combined diets comprising Artemia salina, mysid shrimp Mesopodopsis orientalis and frozen Acetes sp. The daily food intake of seahorse was determined with the following treatments: T1-Artemia; T2-mysid; T3-Acetes; T4-Artemia + mysid; T5-Artemia + Acetes ; T6-mysid + Acetes; and T7-Artemia + mysid + Acetes. Percent body weight (% BW) of daily food intake until satiation was similar in Artemia, mysid and Artemia + Acetes (20-22 %), but significantly higher in mysid + Acetes, Artemia + mysid, and Artemia + mysid + Acetes with 25, 31 and 33 %, respectively (p < 0.05). Single diet of frozen Acetes was least consumed at 6 %. Thus, mysid was the preferred food of adult seahorses as a single or combined diet with Artemia and Acetes. Diet treatments with single mysid or combined with Artemia and Acetes have significantly higher brood size (223-292) than the other treatments (107-152) (p < 0.05). Significantly longer parturition interval (60 days) was observed in seahorses fed with Artemia than those fed with mysid or in combination with other natural food (13-26 days), but not significantly different to seahorses fed with Acetes and Artemia + Acetes (42-45 days). Parturition occurrence in seahorse fed with Artemia, Acetes and Artemia + Acetes (2.7-4.3) were the lowest, while Artemia + mysid and Artemia + mysid + Acetes have significantly higher occurrence followed by mysids + Acetes and mysid only (p < 0.05). Thus, the reproductive performance was improved when seahorses were fed with single or combined foods including mysid. Total lipid was positively correlated to brood size and parturition occurrence, while DHA:EPA ratio was negatively correlated to brood size and parturition occurrence.This study was funded by the Government of Japan Trust Fund (GOJ-TF) for Stock Enhancement Program entitled "Resource Enhancement of Internationally Threatened and Over-Exploited Species in Southeast Asia through Stock Release" (Budget code 5029-TRD-Br0710). This study was also supported in part by Asia-Africa Science Platform (AASP) Program(2011-2013 FY) and RONPAKU (Dissertation PhD) Program (2013-2015 FY, DOST-11322) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)