Broodstock

Broodstock, or broodfish, are a group of mature individuals used in aquaculture for breeding purposes. Broodstock can be a population of animals maintained in captivity as a source of replacement for, or enhancement of, seed and fry numbers.[1] These are generally kept in ponds or tanks in which environmental conditions such as photoperiod, temperature and pH are controlled. Such populations often undergo conditioning to ensure maximum fry output. Broodstock can also be sourced from wild populations where they are harvested and held in maturation tanks before their seed is collected for grow-out to market size[2] or the juveniles returned to the sea to supplement natural populations.[1] This method, however, is subject to environmental conditions and can be unreliable seasonally, or annually.[2] Broodstock management can improve seed quality and number through enhanced gonadal development and fecundity.[3]

  1. ^ a b Waples, R.S., and C. Do. 1994. Genetic risk associated with supplementation of Pacific salmonids: Captive broodstock programs. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science,51(1), 310–329.
  2. ^ a b Fast, A. W. (1994). Effects of broodstock size and source on ovarian maturation and spawning on Penaeus monodon Fabricius from the Gulf of Thailand. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 25(1), 41–49.
  3. ^ Izquierdo, M. S., Fernandez-Palacios, H. And Tacon, A. G. J. (2001). Effect of broodstock nutrition on reproductive performance of fish. Aquaculture, 197, 25–42.