Laboratory Culture of Tautog

Abstract Spawning of field-captured adult tautog Tautoga onitis was accomplished under laboratory conditions. Natural spawning of tautog produced more viable embryos and larvae than did strip-spawning. Embryos were cultured to hatching and raised successfully through the larval stage to juveniles. Newly hatched larvae were fed protozoans from day 0 to day 6 posthatch, rotifers from day 2 to day 20 posthatch, and brine shrimp Artemia salina from day 7 to several months posthatch. Rotifers and brine shrimp were enriched with highly unsaturated fatty acids. Supplementing cultured foods with natural plankton enhanced larval survival. Slow flow-through green-water culture proved superior to static culture methods. Handling resulted in high larval mortality. Laboratory-cultured brine shrimp and a commercial food provided an adequate diet for juvenile tautog.