Abstract

The tripletail, Lobotes surinamensis, is a pelagic fish common in coastal waters of the southeastern United States. Initially targeted primarily as a game fish, the species has become prized for the quality of its flesh. Franks et al. (2001) and Saillant et al. (2021) documented fast growth rates in captivity placing tripletail among the fastest-growing marine finfish species currently developed for aquaculture (Saillant et al. 2021). These fast growth rates combined with the excellent quality of tripletail flesh, contribute to the high potential of this species for marine aquaculture. Available data on Tripletail aquaculture to date are limited to small?scale projects implemented at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) focused on captive spawning and hatchery methods. Work on tripletail culture was also conducted in private groups but findings were not published. During projects conducted at USM, broodstock were main-tained in captivity and protocols for hormonal induction of spawning were developed (Saillant et al. 2014, 2021, Saillant and Adams 2022). Embryos produced were used in larval culture trials by Saillant et al. (2021) and Saillant and Adams (2022). Initial growout data at low density were also reported by Franks et al. (2001) as well as Saillant et al. (2021) in recirculating systems.

PDF Preview