Aquaculture of Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata)

Cotton*, C. and R. L. Walker
University of Georgia, Shellfish Aquaculture Lab, 20 Ocean Science Circle, Savannah, GA 31411; 912-598-2348 telephone; 912-598-2399 fax; cstriata@arches.uga.edu

A new market is emerging for live black sea bass (Centropristis striata), in the sushi markets of the northeast United States. Due to increased fishing pressure, recent regulations have been imposed on C. striata. In an effort to satisfy demand while protecting native stocks, the Shellfish Aquaculture Lab is trying to develop aquacultural methods for hatchery reared fingerlings of C. striata. Fish (0.8 ± 0.05 g wet weight) were reared in replicate (n=3) 70 L tanks in a flow through system. Fish were fed four commercial diets at a 5% ration (grams dry weight of food/grams wet weight of fish) and showed significant differences (p < 0.0001) in weight after 12 weeks. By week 18, fish fed Zeigler's Salmon Starter (14.5 ± 0.92 g) > Rangen's Trout and Salmon Starter (11.4 ± 0.93 g) > Nelson's Silver Cup Salmon Crumbles (7.3 ± 0.85 g) = Nelson's Silver Cup Trout Crumbles (4.5 ± 0.29 g). Fish (0.6 ± 0.03 g wet weight) were also cultured in replicate (n=3) 70 L tanks housed in temperature regulated rooms. Fish raised at 30^o C doubled in size after two weeks (0.6 ± 0.03 g to 1.2 ± 0.06 g) but most succumbed to mycobacterial (M. marinum) infections. After 10 weeks, all fish raised at 30^o C had succumbed to disease. By week 10, significant differences in weight (p < 0.0001) of fish raised at 25^o C, 20^o C and 15^o C were found with fish reared at 25^o C (2.8 ± 0.14 g) = 20^o C (2.3 ± 0.11 g) > 15^o C (1.1 ± 0.04 g). Excellent potential exists for developing a black sea bass aquacultural fishery.