Hybridization and Larval Rearing of Sparidentex hasta x Acanthopagrus latus and their Reciprocals

Sparidentex hasta is superior over Acanthopagrus latus in market price and growth rate while A. latus is superior over S. hasta in number of eggs produced, hatching rate, larval survival and eventually number of fry produced. Thus, the possibility of obtaining a hybrid with close resemblance in appearance and growth rate to S. hasta and being superior in fry production resembling A. latus would be an encouraging hybrid to seek as being the aim of this study. The broodstocks used for this study, S. hasta and A. latus, were injected with human chorionic gonadotropin hormone to initiate spawning. The eggs were collected and manually fertilized successfully to produce the following types: A. latus (♀) x A. latus (♂), A. latus (♀) x S. hasta (♂) (Hybrid I), S. hasta (♀) x S. hasta (♂), and S. hasta (♀) x A. latus (♂)(Hybrid II). The larval survival rate at 54 day after hatching of A. latus and Hybrid II was significantly the highest (p<0.05) followed by Hybrid I and S. hasta. The mean fry weight of Hybrid II was significantly higher (p<0.05) than both parent`s fry at age of 54-d, and not significantly different (p>0.05) from Hybrid I fry. The resemblance of hybrid II to S. hasta in body appearance will fetch a better market price while being similar to A. latus in larval survival will imply superiority in fry production. Thus hybrid II would be selected and recommended for further work to evaluate its growth rate to market size fish.