Quality control in fish hatcheries is of paramount importance to achieve the desired characteristics of larvae and fry, either
for the market or release to the wild. Quality programmes are applied in a day to day basis having direct implications
for production management and final costs of product. Most common criteria used for larval quality assessment are
morphometrics, condition factor, histometrical indices, lipid analysis, nucleic acid ratios, enzyme activity and stress tests

Andrade, Carlos A. P.

Bandarra, N.

Cordeiro, Nereida

Cunha, M. E.

Gavaia, Paulo J.

Nogueira, N.

Pousão-Ferreira, P.

Ribeira, Laura

Silva, Paula

Sapientia

43FISh lArvAe quAlITy deScrIPTorS: AN APPrAISAl oF meThodS For red Porgy Pagrus pagrus ANd grouPer Epinephelus marginatus Produced uNder dIFFereNT reArINg coNdITIoNSCarlos A. P. Andrade*, Natacha Nogueira, Paula Silva, Nereida Cordeiro, Maria E. Cunha, Pedro Pousão-Ferreira, Laura Ribeiro, Narcisa Bandarra and Paulo GavaiaCentro de Maricultura da CalhetaDirecção Regional de Pescas9370-133 Vila da Calheta, Madeira, Portugalcarlos.andrade@cmcmadeira.orgQuality control in fish hatcheries is of paramount importance to achieve the desired characteristics of larvae and fry, either for the market or release to the wild. Quality programmes are applied in a day to day basis having direct implications for production management and final costs of product. Most common criteria used for larval quality assessment are morphometrics, condition factor, histometrical indices, lipid analysis, nucleic acid ratios, enzyme activity and stress tests. Red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) and dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) are two species of high commercial value throughout their distribution areas and candidate species for aquaculture diversification or restocking programmes. Larval rearing is presently made either in mesocosm or more intensive rearing conditions, but the production is limited by the lack of knowledge of the species nutritional requirements. Red porgy and dusky grouper larvae populations in culture are characterized by high size heterogeneity, leading to difficulties for effective feeding and ultimately, resulting in high cannibalism. Furthermore, the allometric growth of the larvae, particularly their mouth gape related to body height, facilitates the engulfing of conspecific prey. Larval deformities, common in the 2 larval species, are also a consequence of nutritional deficiencies or inadequate rearing conditions. Recent works with red porgy larvae reared under laboratory conditions revealed that other criteria besides morphometrics are the most sensitive and reliable indicators of the larvae nutritional status. These include digestive enzymes and selected fatty acids as well. Combining the different approaches to monitor larval development and size, plus their nutritional status it is feasible to establish quality criteria that will contribute to improve red porgy and dusky grouper larval performance and avoid cannibalism.461eFFecTS oF PhylloquINoNe oN Solea senegalensis SkeleTogeNeSIS P.J. Gavaia*, G. Dionísio, LEC Conceição, K. Hamre and M. L. CancelaCCMARUniversity of Algarve, Campus Gambelas8005-139 FaroPortugalpgavaia@ualg.ptSkeletogenesis is a continuous process occurring during fish larval development that is influenced by vitamin K VK, an essential factor for the correct formation of coagulation factors and skeletal matrix proteins. High levels of skeletal deformities are recorded in most commonly cultured species like the sparids, sea bass and flatfish like the Senegalese sole. The appearance of malformations takes place during the larval stages, when skeletal structures are forming. Several factors have been pointed as possible causes for the appearance of skeletal deformities, namely poor environmental conditions such as industrial water pollution and high levels of various organic metabolites (like ammonia), water currents, temperature, genetic and different nutritional factors. The effects of phylloquinone (VK1) on Senegalese sole skeletal development was evaluated in larvae reared under tree different dietary regimes supplemented in graded levels of VK1 (0, 50 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg) using Artemia as vehicle. The effects of increasing dietary VK1 levels were evaluated in larval performance: mineral content, larval growth and incidence of skeletal deformities. Our results show  a significant reduction in the levels of deformities in Senegal sole larvae reared with vitamin K supplemented diet. Material and Methods - S. senegalensis eggs were obtained by natural spawning of broodstocks, that were maintained under natural photoperiod and temperature conditions. Eggs were incubated at 19ªC and hatched larvae separated into 3 groups in triplicates and transferred to 70 liter cylindroconical tanks at a density of 60 larva / liter. Larvae were fed rotifers and artemia enriched with Super Selco supplemented with 0, 50 and 250 mg/kg  phylloquinone. At 19 days after hatching (dah) larvae were transferred to flat bottom tanks and reared on enriched artemia until 40 DAH. Samples were collected for preparing ashes and quantifying Calcium and phosphate levels; for skeletal double staining of the skeleton and for HPLC analysis. Results and Discussion - We have achieved an efficient delivery of VK1 with levels increasing on fish larvae fed VK1 diets. No differences were observed on larval growth and survival at the end of the experimental period. Larvae from 50 and 250 mg VK1 show an increase in mineral content. A significant reduction on the incidence of deformities was achieved when comparing larvae supplemented with 250 mg of VK1 and control larvae. This work shows a clear benefit on vitamin K supplementation, by increasing larval skeletal quality.  Acknowledgement This work was funded by project PDTC-MAR-105152-2008 (SPECIAL K)from the Foundation of Science and Technology.

Fish larvae quality descriptors: an appraisal of methods for red porgy Pagrus pagrus and grouper Epinephelus marginatus produced under different rearing conditions

Universidade do Algarve

43
FISh lArvAe quAlITy deScrIPTorS: AN APPrAISAl oF meThodS For red 
Porgy Pagrus pagrus ANd grouPer Epinephelus marginatus Produced uNder 
dIFFereNT reArINg coNdITIoNS
Carlos A. P. Andrade*, Natacha Nogueira, Paula Silva, Nereida Cordeiro, Maria E. Cunha, Pedro Pousão-Ferreira, 
Laura Ribeiro, Narcisa Bandarra and Paulo Gavaia
Centro de Maricultura da Calheta
Direcção Regional de Pescas
9370-133 Vila da Calheta, Madeira, Portugal
carlos.andrade@cmcmadeira.org
Quality control in fish hatcheries is of paramount importance to achieve the desired characteristics of larvae and fry, either 
for the market or release to the wild. Quality programmes are applied in a day to day basis having direct implications 
for production management and final costs of product. Most common criteria used for larval quality assessment are 
morphometrics, condition factor, histometrical indices, lipid analysis, nucleic acid ratios, enzyme activity and stress tests. 
Red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) and dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) are two species of high commercial value 
throughout their distribution areas and candidate species for aquaculture diversification or restocking programmes. Larval 
rearing is presently made either in mesocosm or more intensive rearing conditions, but the production is limited by the 
lack of knowledge of the species nutritional requirements. Red porgy and dusky grouper larvae populations in culture 
are characterized by high size heterogeneity, leading to difficulties for effective feeding and ultimately, resulting in high 
cannibalism. Furthermore, the allometric growth of the larvae, particularly their mouth gape related to body height, 
facilitates the engulfing of conspecific prey. Larval deformities, common in the 2 larval species, are also a consequence of 
nutritional deficiencies or inadequate rearing conditions. 
Recent works with red porgy larvae reared under laboratory conditions revealed that other criteria besides morphometrics 
are the most sensitive and reliable indicators of the larvae nutritional status. These include digestive enzymes and selected 
fatty acids as well. Combining the different approaches to monitor larval development and size, plus their nutritional status 
it is feasible to establish quality criteria that will contribute to improve red porgy and dusky grouper larval performance 
and avoid cannibalism.
461
eFFecTS oF PhylloquINoNe oN Solea senegalensis SkeleTogeNeSIS 
P.J. Gavaia*, G. Dionísio, LEC Conceição, K. Hamre and M. L. Cancela
CCMAR
University of Algarve, Campus Gambelas
8005-139 Faro
Portugal
pgavaia@ualg.pt
Skeletogenesis is a continuous process occurring during fish larval development that is influenced by vitamin K VK, 
an essential factor for the correct formation of coagulation factors and skeletal matrix proteins. High levels of skeletal 
deformities are recorded in most commonly cultured species like the sparids, sea bass and flatfish like the Senegalese sole. 
The appearance of malformations takes place during the larval stages, when skeletal structures are forming. Several factors 
have been pointed as possible causes for the appearance of skeletal deformities, namely poor environmental conditions such 
as industrial water pollution and high levels of various organic metabolites (like ammonia), water currents, temperature, 
genetic and different nutritional factors. The effects of phylloquinone (VK1) on Senegalese sole skeletal development 
was evaluated in larvae reared under tree different dietary regimes supplemented in graded levels of VK1 (0, 50 mg/kg, 
250 mg/kg) using Artemia as vehicle. The effects of increasing dietary VK1 levels were evaluated in larval performance: 
mineral content, larval growth and incidence of skeletal deformities. Our results show  a significant reduction in the levels 
of deformities in Senegal sole larvae reared with vitamin K supplemented diet. 
Material and Methods - S. senegalensis eggs were obtained by natural spawning of broodstocks, that were maintained 
under natural photoperiod and temperature conditions. Eggs were incubated at 19ªC and hatched larvae separated into 3 
groups in triplicates and transferred to 70 liter cylindroconical tanks at a density of 60 larva / liter. Larvae were fed rotifers 
and artemia enriched with Super Selco supplemented with 0, 50 and 250 mg/kg  phylloquinone. At 19 days after hatching 
(dah) larvae were transferred to flat bottom tanks and reared on enriched artemia until 40 DAH. Samples were collected for 
preparing ashes and quantifying Calcium and phosphate levels; for skeletal double staining of the skeleton and for HPLC 
analysis. 
Results and Discussion - We have achieved an efficient delivery of VK1 with levels increasing on fish larvae fed VK1 diets. 
No differences were observed on larval growth and survival at the end of the experimental period. Larvae from 50 and 250 
mg VK1 show an increase in mineral content. A significant reduction on the incidence of deformities was achieved when 
comparing larvae supplemented with 250 mg of VK1 and control larvae. This work shows a clear benefit on vitamin K 
supplementation, by increasing larval skeletal quality.  
Acknowledgement This work was funded by project PDTC-MAR-105152-2008 (SPECIAL K)
from the Foundation of Science and Technology.


https://sapientia.ualg.pt/bitstream/10400.1/4499/1/Fish%20larvae%20quality%20descriptors.%20An%20appraisal%20of%20methods%20for%20red%20porgy%20Pagrus%20pagrus%20and%20grouper%20epinephelus%20marginatus.pdf

Fish larvae quality descriptors: an appraisal of methods for red porgy Pagrus pagrus and grouper Epinephelus marginatus produced under different rearing conditions

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