PROSPAWN - Implementation of natural spawning for marine fish species in culture - improving the quality of off-spring and animal welfare

In general, marine fish species have a very short period (a quality window of few hours) when ovulated eggs are of outstanding quality and when fertilization results in high quality embryos and juveniles. Environmental conditions and broodstock tank construction should therefore be conducive to the occurrence of natural spawning, ensuring the collection of embryos of the highest possible quality. Under the correct environmental conditions, the most important of these being temperature and photoperiod regimes, combined with the proper physical surroundings, courtship and mating will take place in populations of captive broodstock. In addition to increasing the quality of the collected eggs, it should also be noted that animal welfare will be significantly improved by replacing stripping with natural spawning - without the use of hormones.