filaman - larvalbase

User Manual

FiLaMan (Fish Larval Rearing Manual)

A Curriculum and Training Material on the Rearing of Fish Larvae, for use in Training Courses in Developing Countries

Marc Nolting Harald Rosenthal Oliver Schneider Bernd Ueberschär

Institute of Marine Research University of Kiel

With support from the European Comission Directorate-General VIII, Development Sectorial Implementation Education, Training

and Cultural Cooperation

FiLaMan (Fish Larval Rearing Manual) 2

Contents

Table of Content 2

Introduction 3

Background and Tasks 3

Mode of Development 3

FiLaMan´s Overall Structure 5

Priority Subject Areas and Structure of Chapters 6

How to use FiLaMan 12

How to Navigate 12

Page Design 12

The Main Menu Bar 13

Navigation Buttons 14

Using the Glossary Module 14

Using the Bibliography Module 15

Acknowledgements 15


Introduction FiLaMan is an training manual on finfish larvae rearing. It has been

established as a multimedia tool, designed especially for use in

training courses for fisheries and hatchery managers in developing

countries, to enhance their capability to rear fingerlings for

aquaculture, stock enhancement and for the re-establishment of local

fish populations. It has been developed at the Institute of Marine

Research at the University Kiel (Germany) with the financial support

of the European Union (European Commission Directorate-General

VIII, Development Sectorial Implementation Education, Training and Cultural Cooperation) in close

cooperation with ICLARM´s Fish- and Larvalbase.

Background and Tasks

Aquaculture is the sector of human food production with one of the biggest growing potential. Currently this sector is dominated by Asian countries (China, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea) representing about 80% of the world-wide production. In the global range aquaculture is established very uneven, however in many developing countries there is on the one hand a huge potential to establish reliable aquaculture, but on the other hand there is only insufficient praxis-orientated information available. A sustainable aquaculture is more than only a protein source for the native people. Selling fish and other aquatic products, re-stocking of local fish populations can give a positive socio-economic impact to whole local regions. In this context fisheries and hatchery managers in developing countries need information and training to assist them in breeding fish for stock enhancement, aquaculture, and the re-establishment of aquatic biodiversity. With the presented FiLaMan - version 1.0 the project has explored the information and training to be needed on fish larvae rearing in developing countries and and thus to made the assembled information available to the public in a cost-effective way.

Mode of Development

In order to promote contacts for collaboration with scientists and/or professional fishfarmers from developing countries, a homepage was established in order to present the objectives of the project. The homepage is active on the internet since November 1998 and is accessible under the following address: http:// filaman.uni-kiel.de The home-page was particularly designed to attract potential contributors who have a vasted interest into the subject and therefore could provide hints of what end-users needs would be. Accordingly, the input from outside varied greatly (both in time and by area). Responses received reach from private sector to institutional users with encouraging comments. However, valuable contacts have been established through the homepage, including Thailand, South America, Indonesia and Guatemala.


Additionally, personal contacts have led to inputs from other areas (Brasil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Japan, Philippines and United Kingdom). Apart from single contacts several multiple contacts were established with useful information exchange. Gradually, as the FiLaMan project proceeded, chapters (or modules of which were sufficiently advanced) were made accessible through the homepage. To fullfil the task in attracting expert input a questionaire (Fig.1) was designed to encourage a structured response suitable for the objectives.

Fig. 1: Front page of the questionnaire published on the homepage.

The questionaire to which responses from developing countries have been received, includes questions on basic needs on species and rearing techniques. Subsequently incoming data were analysed online, while suggestions were either incorporated or lead to structure changes/expansions. By conjunction with the ICLARM/FAO database FishBase and the FAO-ASFA CD-ROM, relevant literature was selected and information extracted that deals with rearing techniques. Numerous incubation, fertilization and larval rearing facilities were compared and selected for later inclusion into case demonstrations. Further broodstock management was included into search profil. In accordance with the information needs identified on species and rearing techniques in developing countries a curriculum (Fig.2) was developed. This curriculum is appropiate to be applied for the planning, organisation and execution of training courses on fish larval rearing. The complete curriculum is attached to the FiLaMan CD-ROM.


Fig. 2: Entry to the Curriculum on the Rearing of Fish Larvae for use in Training Courses in Developing Countries.

FiLaMan´s Overall Structure FiLaMan is a two-way-decision model based on two main modules: the technical module and the

species module. These modules are amplified by a French and English glossary module (with

currently 3000 terms and their definitions) and a bibliography module.

Fig. 3: FiLaMan´s startpage.


Fig. 4: Table of Contents (opened by clicking the "enter" button on the startpage).

Within the technical module FiLaMan provides information on broodstock management, stripping and

fertilisation, egg incubation, larval rearing and feeding of fish larvae as well. The species module

provides detailed information on the fish species, relevant for aquaculture in developing countries,

their biology and distribution. In both modules the written text is illustrated with numerous drawings,

photos and videos. The user can start to explore FiLaMan from two different starting points, either the

species module or the technical module, which are cross linked at numerous points. A structured flow-

chart behind the users interface allows to organize the collected background material in a manner that

enables to hierarchically access information on different culture processes and techniques while at the

same cross-linking with information on the relevant species. Thereby the module can serve as a self-

learning tool.

Priority Subject Areas and Structure of Chapters

There exists a vast amount of information on the general reproduction biology and the early life history of numerous fish species. A set of pragmatic selection criteria were established to restrict the work to a number of work packages that could be reasonably developed within the given time frame and the given financial resources. On the one hand the CD-ROM should cover species of key-relevance, on the other hand it should be fairly comprehensive to cover most of the theoretical and practical subject areas that are relevant to the control of the life cycle of fish under culture conditions. It was decided (after screening the literature and considering also information from the aquaculture industry) to include species from the following families into version 1.0 of FiLaMan: Cichilidae, Clariidae, Chanidae, Cyprinidae, Serranidae, Sparidae and Salmonidae.


Fig. 5: Startpage of the species module.

These families contain major aquaculture candidates, some of which represent the largest aquaculture

production in the world. Species of these families belong also to those for which (a) culture techniques

are well established in fresh and marine water and (b) artificial reproduction is comparatively new

developed, especially in marine aquaculture.

Five priority areas have been established as chapters comprising self-contained subject areas:

(1) Broodstock managment and handling of mature fish Following a general introduction, the user of the FiLaMan-CD-ROM is guided through the content of the chapter by a number of subject buttons that will appear on the screen:

• Obtaining Broodstock

• Ponds and Tanksystems

• Artificial Control of Spawning Time

• Handling Procedures for Mature Fish


Fig. 6: Broodstock Management and Handling of Mature Fish: Table of Content.

(2) Stripping and fertilization:

This chapter contains the following subheadings, individually accessible via the top:

• Artificial fertilization

• Handling of broodstock after stripping and/or natural spawning

Fig. 7: Stripping and Fertilization: Table of Content.


(3) Egg incubation and handling Here, some physico-chemical and environmental criteria are addressed in principle which critically

interfere with the success of incubation. These are examplified by selected species, both with demersal

and pelagic eggs:

• Egg development

• Factors affecting egg development

• Disinfection of eggs

• Transportation of eggs

Fig. 8: Egg Incubation and Handling: Table of Content.

(4) Larval rearing

Fish larvae can be reared in a variety of enclosurses, structures and tank systems, some of them are

designed to meet specific requirements of the larval species to be cultured. This chapter will give an

overview of larval rearing in tanks and ponds as well. The top-screen of the chapter (see Appendix I)

includes the following subdivisions:

• Larval rearing in tanks

• Larval rearing in earth ponds

• Disease prevention


Fig. 9: Larval Rearing Systems: Table of Content.

(5) Feeding of fish larvae

A critical element in operation of a hatchery is the successfull rearing of early feeding stages. This

chapter addresses major routes of providing life food through the establishment of artificial food

chains. The top-screen of the chapter (Fig.10) includes the following subdivisions:

• Natural live food organisms in ponds

• Production of live food organisms in the hatchery

• Use of supplementary feeds

Fig. 10: Feeding of Fishlarvae: Table of Content.


All of these subject areas included in the technology module can be interlinked immediately (while

viewing) through access buttons to all other modules:

(a) the glossary of aquaculture terms and their definition (Fig.11)

(b) the bibliography module (Fig.12)

(c) the species module (principle aspects of the biology of species considered in FiLaMan including

geographic distribution, life requirements and special aspects of rearing methods) (Fig.13).

Fig. 11: Glossary startpage.

Fig. 12: Bibliography startpage.

Fig. 13: Species Startpage.

It should be noted that at the beginning of each of the chapter there is a subheading next to the overall

introduction called "General Guidelines" (Fig.14) which has particularly been designed to attract the

readers attention to major issues relevant to success of the techniques and procedures described in the


following chapter. These guidelines are by design brief but are specifically useful as they direct the

users' attention to key elements of the respective chapter.

Fig. 14: Subheading "General Guidelines".

How to Navigate The Modules are cross-linked at all levels to access information at any time on relevant species, their

ecology and distribution. While browsing through the modules you may use (a) the Main Menu bar

(Fig.15) and/or (b) the Navigation Buttons (Fig.16) to jump between modules, chapters and pages to

extract information.

Fig. 15: The Main Menu bar.

Fig. 16: The Navigation Buttons.

Page Design The page design is uniform throughout all modules (Fig.17). Text fields are always placed on the left

side while thumbnailed images, graphics, pop-ups and video screens are placed at the right side.


Fig. 17: Uniform page design.

Use scrollbars (Fig.18) to read text exceeding normal field size. All buttons on the right side of the

main window indicate that addtional information is available.

Click on the word "detail" (Fig.19) in the text field to display a full screen picture of the thumbnailed

images and/or of the drawings mentioned in the text. The same images and/or of the drawings are

also accessible from the smaller image on the right side of the main window.

Fig. 18: Scrollbar of the text field.

Fig. 19: "detail" indicating access to additional information (drawings/images/videos).

The Main Menu Bar Use the Main Menu (Fig.20) on the top of the main window to select chapters. After clicking on a

chapter a drop-down menu will be opened. Use the Main Menu bar to jump between chapters

and/or subdivisions. The Navigation Menu at the right side of the Main Menu bar enables the user

to move back to the last seen page or to open the bibliography and species module.

Use Exit in the Navigation menu to leave FiLaMan.


Fig. 18: Using the Main Menu bar.

Navigation Buttons Alternatively to the Navigation Menu you can use the Navigation Buttons (Fig.21) in the lower

right corner of the window to move between pages. Click on the right button to move to the next

page of the chapter. Click on the left button to go to previous seen pages.

Fig. 19: Navigation Button

Using the Glossary Click on the Question Mark (Fig.22) button always present on the lower left corner of the main

window to open the Glossary module (Fig.23). The English and French glossary module contains

about 3000 definitions explaining terms frequently used in aquaculture. The glossary displays the

English and French term in one window. To jump to the next best match click on the Search again

button.

Fig. 20: Question Mark button.


Click on the New Search button (Fig.24) to start search for a new term. Leave the glossary module

by clicking on the Close Button [x] at the right end of the menu bar.

Fig. 21: Glossary Startpage.

Fig. 22: Glossary page.

Using the Bibliography Module The FiLaMan version 1.0 has been assembled with input from publications. Some of them are listed

in the bibliography module (Fig.25). Click on the Navigation button in the Main Menu bar and

choose Bibliography. By clicking the Search for button in the Main menu bar a choice to find

relevant references by author, year, title, editor, publisher or keyword is offered (Fig.26). The

advanced search by keyword offers a variety of relevant references. Choosing again in the Search for

menu directs to next best match.

Fig. 23: Bibliography Startpage.

Fig. 24: Bibliography page.

Acknowledgements

The financial support of the European Union, European Commission Directorate-General VIII, Development Sectorial Implementation Education, Training and Cultural Cooperation is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are due to ICLARM´s Fish- and Larvalbase projects, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Asymetrix Learning Systems Inc. for their scientific and technical support. The authors are grateful for any contributions which helped to realize this aquaculture training tool.

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