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Native fish species boosting Brazilian's aquaculture development

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  • Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research

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Brazil's aquaculture production has increased rapidly during the last two decades, growing from basically zero in the 1980s to over one half million tons in 2014. The development started with introduced international species such as shrimp, tilapia, and carp in a very traditional way, but has shifted to an increasing share of native species and focus on the domestic market. Actually 40 % of the total production is coming from native species such tambaquí (Colossoma macropomum), tambacu (hybrid from female C. macropomum and male Piaractus mesopotamicus). Other species like pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) or surubim (Pseudoplatystoma spp.) are considered to have a high production potential. Aquaculture products are mainly market locally. There is still a need to solve technical and financial problems with regards to future aquaculture development. But as species selection to meet the national demand has been concluded there is a big chance that Brazilian's aquaculture development will become a success story.
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Acta Fish. Aquat. Res. (2017) 5(1): 1-9
DOI 10.2312/ActaFish.2017.5.1.1-9
Acta of Acta of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
ISSN: 2357-8068
Indexadores: Sumários (www.sumarios.org) - Diretórios: Diadorim (Diadorim.ibict.br) - Latindex (www.latindex.org)
ARTIGO DE TÉCNICO
1
Native fish species boosting Brazilian’s aquaculture development
Espécies nativas de peixes impulsionam o desenvolvimento da aquicultura brasileira
Ulrich Saint-Paul
Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research, Fahrenheitstr. 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany
*Email: ulrich.saint-paul@leibniz-zmt.de
Publicado: 27 de fevereiro de 2017
Abstract Brazil’s aquaculture production has
increased rapidly during the last two decades,
growing from basically zero in the 1980s to over
one half million tons in 2014. The development
started with introduced international species such
as shrimp, tilapia, and carp in a very traditional
way, but has shifted to an increasing share of
native species and focus on the domestic market.
Actually 40 % of the total production is coming
from native species such tambaquí (Colossoma
macropomum), tambacu (hybrid from female C.
macropomum and male Piaractus mesopotamicus).
Other species like pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) or
surubim (Pseudoplatystoma spp.) are considered to
have a high production potential. Aquaculture
products are mainly market locally. There is still a
need to solve technical and financial problems with
regards to future aquaculture development. But as
species selection to meet the national demand has
been concluded there is a big chance that
Brazilian’s aquaculture development will become a
success story.
Keywords: aquaculture, Brazil, species, non-
native species, development.
Resumo A produção da aquicultura do Brasil
aumentou rapidamente nas últimas duas décadas,
passando de quase zero nos anos 80 para mais de
meio milhão de toneladas em 2014. O
desenvolvimento começou através da introdução
de espécies internacionais, tais como o camarão, a
tilápia e a carpa, de uma forma muito tradicional,
mas mudou com o aporte crescente de espécies
nativas e foco no mercado interno. Atualmente,
40% da produção total provém de espécies nativas
como tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum),
tambacu (híbrido de C. macropomum e macho
Piaractus mesopotamicus). Outras espécies como
pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) ou surubim
(Pseudoplatystoma spp.) são consideradas como de
alto potencial para produção. Os produtos da
aquicultura são principalmente para mercado
locais. Continua a ser necessário resolver os
problemas técnicos e financeiros relacionados com
o futuro desenvolvimento da aquicultura. Mas,
como a seleção de espécies para atender a demanda
nacional foi concluída há uma grande chance de
que o desenvolvimento da aquicultura brasileira se
torne uma história de sucesso.
Palavras-chave Aquicultura, Brasil, espécies
indígenas, espécies não-nativas, desenvolvimento.
Saint-Paul (2017)
Acta of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
2
Introduction
Brazil is a country of continental dimensions, occupying an area of 8,547,404 km². Brazil
possesses 12 percent of the planet's reserve of available freshwater, with more than two million
hectares of marshlands, reservoirs and estuaries suitable for aquaculture, as well as 25,000 rivers
across the country. Brazil has a coastline that stretches for 8,400 kilometers and out of a total of 27
administrative regions: 26 states and the Federal District, 15 of which border the Atlantic Ocean
coast.
It was shown that Brazilian aquaculture could be divided in six main sectors, defined by the type
of cultured organism being produced (Valentini, 2000). Those sectors are: freshwater fish, marine
shrimp, clams, oysters, freshwater shrimp and frogs. Freshwater fish is the only sector present in
every state in the country, representing almost 80 percent of total production, followed by
freshwater shrimp, which are cultivated in 20 states. All other sectors are restricted to a certain
region of the country.
In a review on Brazilians aquaculture (Roubach et al., 2003) was stated the main cultivated
species as tilapias (Oreochromis spp.), common and Chinese carp (Cyprinus carpio, Aristichthys
nobilis, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Ctenopharyngodon idella), followed by pacu (Piaractus
mesopotamicus), tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), catfish (surubim, Pseudoplatystoma sp.),
marine shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and mollusks (Crassostrea gigas, C. rhizophorae,and Perna
perna (Queiroz et al., 2002).
Figure 1 Comparison between total aquaculture production in Brazil and native and non-native species
(19802014). Adapted from data available from FAO (http://www.fao.org/fishery/statistics/ global-
aquaculture-production/query/en).
In Brazil, aquaculture offers the largest potential to increase fish supplies. Aquaculture almost
not existed in Brazil in the early 1980s. Following a careful start in the late 1980s, production has
increased rapidly from the mid-1990s, passing one half million tons in 2011, making Brazil,
according to (FAO, 2015), to the second largest aquaculture producer in the Latin American.
Saint-Paul (2017)
Acta of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
3
Remarkable the rapid growth in farmed fish production, up from 20,360 tons in 1990 to 159,496
tons in 2000 and up to 540,442 tons in 2014 (Fig. 1). And from this total, 82% come from fresh
water aquaculture. The contribution of aquaculture in total fish production was 44 % in 2011.For
more detailed information look at Kubitza et al., 2012. They give an in depth analysis of
aquaculture production per region showing its huge potential for food production. Fig. 2 gives a
more detailed picture on the production of the different species groups between 1980 and 2014.
Figure 2 Comparison between total aquaculture production in Brazil and different species groups (1980-
2014),Adapted from data available from FAO (http://www.fao.org/fishery/statistics/global-aquaculture-
production/query/en).
The aquaculture sector in Brazil has enjoyed very steady long-term growth. In the following
we try to estimate the potential on the native species to increase Brazil’s aquaculture development.
How it started
Aquaculture development started at the beginning of the last century. The common carp was
introduced as early as 1904 in the southern region (Ostrensky et al., 2007), and production is still
concentrated in this area mostly due to climatic conditions (SEBRAE, 2012). According to FAO
highest production for carps, barbels and other cyprinids of 54,963 tons was recorded for 2002
however, actual figures are much lower (2014: 20,886 tons). Reasons for this decline are unclear.
In 1971 Nile tilapia, was brought from Ivory Coast to the aquaculture research station at
Pentecostes, Ceará (DNOCS National Department of Drought Alleviation). However, by the end
of 80's tilapia aquaculture output was still irrelevant. With the adoption of sex reversal technology
in early 90's, tilapia aquaculture gained importance, mainly in the south and southeastern states. In
1995, tilapia aquaculture production in Brazil was estimated near 12,000 tons. Major tilapia clusters
are located in the State of Western Paraná (pond culture) and in the reservoirs of Northeast and
Southeast Brazil (cage culture). In Northeast Brazil major tilapia clusters are found along the course
of the San Francisco River (Lakes Sobradinho, Itaparica, Moxotó and Xingó) and the Jaguaribe
River (Lakes Castanhão and Orós) (Kubitza, 2016). In 1996 the first introduction of Chitralada
strain of Nile tilapia (Thai tilapia) improved the genetic quality of brood stock in many tilapia
Saint-Paul (2017)
Acta of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
4
hatcheries. The Thai tilapia showed a better growth performance and replaced gradually the non-
selected stocks of Nile tilapia. Today Tilapia production in Brazil is the sixth largest in the world
(FAO, 2015), and production has expanded all over the country, including the Northeast region. The
massive production of male fingerlings, the introduction of net cages, the usage of brood stock with
genetic potential, the development of higher quality fish feed, the utilization of larger reservoirs and
the supply of high added value products such as fillets have become important factors for the
expansion of Tilapia fish farming in Brazil (Kubitza et al., 2012; Prado & Neves, 2015). Actually
(2014) production amounts to 198,728 tons. Rabobank expects Brazilian tilapia production to
increase by 10 percent a year, surpassing 490,000 tons by 2020 (Fontes & Nikolik, 2015).
The Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) culture began 1972 and has expanded since
then, especially in the northeast region, mainly in the States of Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Bahia
and Piauí. A Brazilian solution with native shrimp species did not reach an economically
sustainable level. The production reaches 140,000 tons in 2014with strong oscillations over time
because the industry has gone through difficult periods facing challenges such as: diseases, flooding
in important production areas. The industry’s average production per hectare and year is around
2,000 kg/ha, which by Latin American standards is very high. Most shrimp are produced under
semi-intensive conditions Moles & Bunge, 2002). In 2003, intensification was disrupted by
outbreaks of the infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV) and was the reason for the significant overall
aquaculture production decrease at that time. But it became now the third most cultured species in
Brazil. Native Atlantic shrimp species are of no commercial importance. In Brazil, despite of the
presence of few large farms, most of the shrimp farming activity takes places in small and medium
sized farms. The farming takes place in ponds and also can be found in low salinity waters (Prado &
Neves, 2015).
Mollusk farming was introduced into Brazil in the 1960s but only since 1989 has this activity
developed as an important economic alternative for small-scale fishermen. Pacific cupped oyster
(Crassostrea gigas) is produced in the South region and native oysters species are produced on
differing scales in almost every state from the South to the North regions. Scallop aquaculture is a
recent activity in Brazil with no commercial farms to date, however, improvements in hatchery seed
production of local species indicate that this technology will soon become commercially viable.
The potential for aquaculture on the north and northeast coasts is enormous, especially with
seaweed and native oyster production. Seaweed, oyster and crab extraction is a common activity
undertaken mostly by women in many fishing communities, in many of these places, aquaculture is
providing the first self-employed jobs as it becomes associated with better resource management.
Freshwater fish and prawn farms generate more than 100,000 jobs; generally these activities are
integrated with other agriculture activities on small scale farming enterprises.
Brazil (540,441 tons) is 12th in the list of the largest fish producers worldwide. Relative to
production of freshwater fish, Brazil is the largest power in the Americas (611,343 tons), and its
production is approximately 10 times greater than that of Chile (59,527 tons) for this form of
culture. In South American continental fish farming, the exotic species Nile tilapia Oreochromis
niloticus, carp Cyprinus carpio and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss are still among the most
produced, which is the common scenario throughout the world (Roderick, 2011).
Three decades ago, a first review of the potential of selected South American species for
aquaculture purposes was provided, citing certain of these like butterfly peacock bass Cichla
ocellaris, Brycon spp., banded leporinus Leporinus fasciatus and black prochilodus Prochilodus
nigricans having slowly advanced, but others, such as black pacu Colossoma macropomum and
pirarucu A. gigas, have been developing with a promising market, especially in the Amazon region
but today almost in the whole country (Saint-Paul, 1986). Other fish (catfish Pseudoplatystoma and
Rhamdia, beyond the characiformes Piaractus and Astyanax) have gained prominence and are
discussed throughout this review.
In Brazil, the most cultivated species are the Nile tilapia and the black pacu; however, the hybrid
black pacu x pacu (C. macropomum xP. mesopotamicus), the common carp, pacu and catfish of the
genus Pseudoplatystoma and its hybrids are also worth mentioning (Brasil, 2011). As mentioned,
Saint-Paul (2017)
Acta of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
5
carp culture in Brazil has declined since 2010 while the production of black pacu and its hybrids has
grown considerably.
The data also show that Brazil is the largest importer of fishery and aquaculture products in
South America, affirming that despite producing a significant portion of fish when compared to the
other countries, Brazil still has a high demand for aquaculture products and thus encourages the
domestic growth of farm production (Valladão et al., 2016).
Cultured native species
SERRASALMIDAE
Three species of the family Characidae (subfamily Serrasalminae) are commonly used in
aquaculture in Latín America, they are Colossoma macroponwm (Cuvier 1818), Piaractus
brachypomus (Cuvier 1818), and P. mesopotamicus (Berg 1895).
The tambaqui (C. macropomum (Cuvier 1818)), also known by the names black pacu, black-
finned pacu, giant pacu, cachama, gamitana, and sometimes as pacu, is the second largest scaled
fish after Arapaima gigas (Osteoglossidae) in the Amazon basin, reaching weights of 30 kg in the
natural environment (Valladão et al., 2016). It is native to the Amazon and Orinoco River basins.
Adult fish feed mainly on fruit and seeds, while juveniles (smaller than 4 kg) feed on zooplankton,
insects, snails, and decaying vegetation (Saint-Paul, 1986; Lovshin, 1995; Valladão et al., 2016).
Remarkable its adaptation to poor water quality and low oxygen as it has specially adapted lips to
gather oxygen rich water from the surface.
The fish has excellent characteristics for use in aquaculture (Saint-Paul, 1986, 1991; van der
Meer, 1997), which include reproducing under aquaculture conditions; being low on the food chain;
accepting prepared feed; being highly resistant to disease, handling, and poor water quality; having
rapid growth; being amenable to high density; having high market acceptability; commanding a
high price; and also being marketable as an ornamental fish (Cambos-Baca & Köhler, 2013).
P. brachypomus has the common name of "pirapitinga" in Brazil, but also known as cachama
blanca, and paco or pacu in a number of South American countries. It is mainly a herbivorous
species but does not have such an restriction to a frugivorous diet like the tambaqui. The largest
individuals can weigh up to 25 kg and measure 88 cm.
A taxonomical review of this group, included a third species, P. mesopotamicus, commonly
known as pacu in Brazil, inhabiting the Parana-Uruguay River system (Britski, 1991). This species
is considered to be omnivore, while young individuals usually feed on micro-crustaceans, but adults
choose insects and plants, as well as nuts and seeds that fall from trees in flooded forests (Paula et
al., 1989). Its medium size is between 3 and 7 kg. It is better tolerant to lower water temperatures
than the previous two species. Its preferred water temperature is 26° C.
In addition to that, tambacu (hybrid from female C. macropomum and male P. mesopotamicus)
and tambatinga (hybrid from female C. macropomum and male P. brachypomus) are new successful
aquaculture candidates. Tambacu was created to combine the high growth rate of tambaqui and the
cold resistance of pacu.
There was a significant estimation for 2014, accounting a total production of 186.029 tons,
compared to 23,584 tons in 2000. This dramatic increase is mainly due to the production of
Rondônia and Mato Grosso. Mato Grosso started to implement a strategy of large production sites,
taking into account large already existing ponds that permitted the increase of production area with
minimum extra investment. In addition, other regions of Brazil expanded its production, such as the
States of: Roraima, Tocantins and Maranhão (Prado & Neves, 2015).
ARAPAIMA (ARAPAIMA GIGAS)
The pirarucu (Arapaima gigas), known as paiche in Peru, is a carnivorous fish from the Amazon
basin and is recognized worldwide as the largest continental water fish. It can reach 3 m in length
Saint-Paul (2017)
Acta of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
6
and up to 200 kg in weight. It is an air-breathing giant fish, which gives him an advantage in
oxygen-deprived waters.Arapaima is not a mouth brooder, but both parents take care of the
offspring for at least one month until the group disperses throughout the lake or pond.
Seed supply relies solely on spontaneous reproduction in in large earthen ponds. Spawning is
continuous and some mating pairs can reproduce five to seven times a year. It can reach up to 12 kg
in only 1 year. Despite impressive potential for its aquaculture, 2013 estimates for its production
reported only 2,300 tons. Due to the low technological levels applied in its captive reproduction, an
irregular supply of fingerlings disrupts the whole production chain (Lima, 2015).
PSEUDOPLATYSTOMA SPP.
The Pseudoplatystoma genus includes two species that have been the target of commercial
production: the spotted surubimP. corruscans and the striped surubim (P. reticulatum). However,
current production is based on the cultivation of hybrids between these species (P. corruscans x P.
reticulatum) or other South American catfish such as Leiarius marmoratus or P. tigrinum. These
fish are carnivorous with large flattened heads, and the main differences are the marks on the skin,
with shaped spots on spotted surubim and traces shaped in the striped surubim. They reach market
size of up to 2 kg after 1 year of cultivation. Cultivation details are summarized by (Goulding &
Carvalho, 1982). It is the high productive potential and quality of meat that boost interest in these
species, which are classified among the most commercially valuable fish (Crepaldi et al., 2006).
Discussion
Brazil pioneered the induced spawning of freshwater and marine fish using hypophysation
techniques several decades ago (Ihering, 1937). Much progress has been made since then, especially
in freshwater aquaculture of tilapia and carp, two species of major impact in Brazil’s aquaculture
development in the past. These species were used because of their easy cultivation, the presence of
technologies and well-established management techniques (Paula et al., 1989).
Further introductions of exotic species continued. The bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) was
introduced in the 1920s. In the 1930s, various fish species were introduced, including channel
catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and several tilapia species
(Tilapia and Oreochromis spp.). In the 1940s, it was the black bass (Micropterus salmoides), and in
the 1950s, Chinese carps - grass, silver, and bighead (Ctenopharyngodon idella, Hypopthalmichthys
molitrix and Aristichthys nobilis) (Zimmermann & Benetti, 2001). Nile tilapia (Oreochromis
niloticus), several species of marine shrimp (Litopenaeus spp.), and the freshwater prawn
(Macrobrachium rosenbergii) were introduced in the 1970s. Then followed the African catfish
(Clarias gariepinus), Japanese oyster (Crassostrea gigas), Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.),
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), and American crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) during the 1980s.
However, the focus of Brazilian’s aquaculture changed as noted by (Pinciato & Ascvhe, 2016).
He observed an increasing share of native species in Brazil’s aquaculture production, as is
demonstrated in Fig. 3. Until the mid of the 90’s aquaculture was based a 100 % on non-native
species. Later on the importance of native species increased to an actual contribution of 40 % on the
total aquaculture production.
On the other hand, despite the rich diversity of South American fish, knowledge of the biology,
reproduction, nutrition and domestication was slower for native species. By the end of the 70th, first
studies on biology and ecology of native (fish) species, especially from the Amazon but as well
from the Paraná and São Francisco Basins, appeared and preliminary experiments on their
suitability of aquaculture purposes were conducted.
Saint-Paul (2017)
Acta of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
7
Figure 3 Comparison between production share of native and non-native species to aquaculture production
in Brazil. Adapted from data available from FAO (http://www.fao.org/fishery/statistics/global-aquaculture-
production/query/en).
At that time public became alerted about the ecological impact of invasive species. Non-native
invasive fish species are increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to extinction threat in
fresh and marine environments, one that joins and combines synergistically with habitat loss and
fragmentation, hydrologic alteration, climate change, overexploitation, and pollution. Although not
all introduced fishes become established, and the fraction of those that do often have little
appreciable effects on their new ecosystems, many others exert significant ecological, evolutionary,
and economic impacts (Cucherousset & Olden. 2016).
In the late 1980s, the pacu (P. mesopotamicus), the tambaqui (C. macropomum), and their
hybrids (tambacu and tambatinga) were considered by Brazilian researchers as the best candidates
for aquaculture. In the early 1990s, some farmers began producing additionally new species such as
pirapitinga (P. brachypomus); matrinchã, piracanjuba and piraputanga (Brycon spp.); curimatã,
curimbatá and curimba (Prochilodus spp.); and piaus (Leporinus spp.) at different levels of
intensity.
Production in Brazil is expected to increase with 68% by 2021, due to significant economic
investments in the sector (OECD, 2015). The access to water resources in Brazil is considered to be
excellent. The country has more than 8,400 km of coastline, 3.5 million hectares of public dams, 5
million hectares of private dams. The production shift from non-endemic to native species will for
sure will increase the acceptance from the local population. However, due to increasing import of
salmon from Chile and pangasius from Vietnam Brazil’s aquaculture industry will face serious
import competition (Pincinato & Asche, 2016). However, the use of native species is a development
path that can be better suited to local ecosystems as well as local markets.
In a detailed study about the consolidation of a sustainable aquaculture development the
following main problems, which are more of technical and financial nature, were summarized
(Ostrensky et al., 2008):
Technical problems: a lack of training and technical qualification in the aquaculture
productive chain.
Economic/administrative problems: the difficulty of access to credit for investing and
funding aquaculture.
Political/administrative problems: the lack of public policies for the development of the
activity.
Saint-Paul (2017)
Acta of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
8
The actual political and economic situation of Brazil will not facilitate the solution of these
problems. But the decision which species should be selected for future aquaculture development has
been made. This will be a big chance for Brazil’s aquaculture development.
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... Arapaima gigas is a native teleost native in the South American Amazon basin, with a length of up to 3 m and 200 kg of body weight [13][14][15], and is considered the largest freshwater scale fish. Commonly called "paiche" in Peru and Ecuador, it is also known as "pirarucu" in Brazil, "warapaima" in Colombia and "arapaima" or "de-chi" in Guyana [15][16][17]. ...
... Arapaima gigas is a native teleost native in the South American Amazon basin, with a length of up to 3 m and 200 kg of body weight [13][14][15], and is considered the largest freshwater scale fish. Commonly called "paiche" in Peru and Ecuador, it is also known as "pirarucu" in Brazil, "warapaima" in Colombia and "arapaima" or "de-chi" in Guyana [15][16][17]. ...
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The Arapaima gigas, a native fish species in the Amazon basin, possesses intriguing biological and zootechnical characteristics, along with substantial economic value, rendering it a promising candidate for development within intensive aquaculture systems. Numerous studies have been conducted to deepen the understanding of its digestive physiology based on its feeding habits, determine its nutritional requirements corresponding to different developmental stages, assess alternative ingredients to enhance feeding strategies, and elucidate its feeding behavior patterns in captivity. However, there remain gaps in information and a deficiency in various aspects of nutritional physiology, particularly as it relates to the formulation of efficient and balanced aquafeeds across different production phases for this species. This article provides a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge regarding digestive physiology, advancements in nutrition and feeding strategies developed over the past two decades. Furthermore, it aims to pinpoint areas that require further research to enhance the understanding of A. gigas and its application in sustainable aquaculture practices.
... Pacu is native to freshwater habitats in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela. In their countries of origin, pacus are widely cultivated for consumption purposes and are also very popular in the freshwater aquarium hobby as ornamental fish (Saint-Paul, 2017;CABI, 2021). This species is also commonly cultivated in Latin America, including Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela (Campos-Baca & Kohler, 2005). ...
Article
Red-bellied pacu (Piaractus brachypomus) is a popular exotic fish cultured globally for ornamental and human consumption purposes. In Indonesia, this fish is mainly cultured in Java, including to supply seed to other regions for the ornamental fish trade or aquaculture. Although this exotic fish in widely cultured, information on parasitic infections is negligible. Red-bellied pacus were purchased from a fish farmer and examined for monogenean parasite infection. Monogenean parasites were identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics. Histopathological examinations were performed on gills from heavily infected fish. DNA was extracted from an individual monogenean; 18S rRNA PCR product was sequenced and a phylogenetic tree constructed. Morphological and molecular traits identified the monogenean as Mymarothecium viatorum, the first report of the neotropical M. viatorum in this region. The parasite was most likely introduced to Indonesia through the importation of ornamental fish. This parasite had a prevalence of 79% and a mean intensity of 7.1. There was no significant correlation between the parasite abundance and the condition factor of the fish. M. viatorum was more abundant on smaller fish than on larger fish. Gill histopathology showed oedema, severe haemorrhage, and infiltration of inflammatory cells. The occurrence of these parasites could pose a serious threat to the development of red-bellied pacu culture.
... Also, da Silva et al. (2023) [17] reported higher electron transport in muscle of tambaqui supplemented with açai an effect that was paralleled by a significant growth increase Tambaqui is a South American freshwater fish widely distributed in the Brazilian Amazon and Orinoco River basins in Venezuela [29]. This is one of the main fish produced by Brazilian fish farming [30,31], with important participation in the production of other South and Central American countries [32], also awakening interest in Asia's aquaculture industry. Based on the arguments presented above, we hypothesised that lyophilised E. oleracea (LEO) administered via diet to tambaqui juveniles before transport could attenuate oxidative stress and enhance their resistance to transport stress. ...
... As a result, water resources are scarce in this region, with two great rivers standing out -São Francisco and Parnaibasince most rivers are temporary [8]. Despite such conditions, aquaculture is growing in the region, especially because the São Francisco River presents a rich fish diversity whose potential for economic use is high [9][10][11]. However, this activity poses a great challenge because there must be sufficient water resources for it to be installed and reach its entire potential production volume [12], and, also in this context, rainfall in the Brazilian Semi-arid region is irregularly distributed across time and space [13][14][15], leading to an increase in the ratio between water demand and availability in times of drought, as well as causing an even higher water demand instead of a rationing in times of water drought [16]. ...
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In aquaculture, biological treatments usually have an excellent benefit-cost ratio. This study evaluated the efficiency of different ecotechnologies on aquaculture wastewater treatment. Two experimental units were installed. In the first one, tanks were individually vegetated with free-floating aquatic macrophytes. In the second experimental unit, 10.72 m² of artificial substrate were added for periphyton colonization. The hydraulic retention time of the wastewater was of 30 days. Both physical and chemical characterizations of the effluent were carried out at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. The periphyton community attached to the substrate was catalogued. In the first unit, the pH, nitrite, and orthophosphate values were significantly different. The tanks vegetated with Azolla filiculoides were the only ones where the electrical conductivity values were reduced. Tanks vegetated with Azolla filiculoides and Pontederia crassipes presented decreased the nitrate concentration. On the other hand, the concentration of ammonia and total phosphorus decreased in all vegetated tanks. In the second unit, only the nitrate and ammonia values did not decrease in the last day of the experiment. 33 taxa belonging to the classes Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae, Coleochaetophyceae, Coscinodiscophyceae and Zygnematophyceae were identified in the substrate. The experimental units were effective in mitigating the nutrients in aquaculture wastewater that cause eutrophication.
... In South America, particularly in Brazil, tilapia introductions date back to the 1930s when individuals of Coptodon rendalli (=Tilapia rendalli) were brought from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be introduced into reservoirs of the Brazilian Traction Light and Power Company for weed control in the state of São Paulo (Azevedo 1955). In 1971, the Brazilian government shipped juveniles of O. niloticus and O. urolepishornorum from Bouaké Station in the Ivory Coast to the aquaculture research station at Pentecostes, Ceará (DNOCS -National Department of Drought Alleviation) to be stocked into northeastern reservoirs for food production (Pullin 1988, Saint-Paul 2017. More recently, genetically improved lines of the Chitralada and GIFT strains were introduced into the Brazilian aquaculture industry in 1996 and 2005, respectively (Barroso et al. 2015). ...
Article
Full-text available
The Arapaima gigas, a native fish species in the Amazon basin, presents particular biological and zootechnical characteristics, along with substantial economic value, that make it a promising candidate for its production within intensive aquaculture systems. To date, different studies have been conducted to (a) increase the understanding of its digestive physiology in relation to feeding habits, (b) determine its nutritional requirements at different developmental stages, (c) assess the potential use of alternative ingredients in diets, and (d) elucidate its feeding behavior patterns in captivity to improve feeding strategies. However, important gaps still remain in the available information related to the above-mentioned aspects that compromise the formulation of efficient and balanced aquafeeds used in the different production phases of this species. This article provides a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge regarding digestive physiology, nutritional requirements and feeding strategies of A. gigas with the main objective of identifying areas that require further research for application in developing suitable and sustainable feeds for the species.
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This worked aimed to overview the aquaculture sector in the state of Piauí its economic importance, the potential, the limiting factors and the actions for the sustainable development of aquaculture in the state. Secondary data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the Brazilian Association of Fish Culture (Peixe-BR) and the Association of Shrimp Farmers of Piauí (ACCP) were used, which were compared with other available technical and scientific studies on the activity. In 2019, the state of Piauí produced 13.8 thousand metric tons of fish of aquaculture origin, coming from a total of 4,664 projects. Among the twelve development territories (TD) in the state, the TD Entre Rios had the highest production, with 3,703 tons, mainly due to the high water availability and privileged logistics in relation to the main consumer market, the metropolitan region of Teresina, the state capital. Regarding the gross production value, the TD Planície Litorânea took on a leading role, with 47.4 million BRL, as it concentrates the marine shrimp farming initiatives in the State. The largest number of projects were located in the TD Cocais, where freshwater fish farming was the most developed activity. It was concluded that although some regions have potential for the development of aquaculture, with plenty of natural resources, favorable climate and adequate road infrastructure, the aquaculture production in the state is still very modest, well below the volumes it could reach. The implementation of efficient public policies and incentives that can help overcome the obstacles faced by Piauí’s aquaculturists, is the first step for the state to fully exploit its aquaculture potentials.
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O presente trabalho teve por objetivo descrever o panorama da aquicultura no Piauí, evidenciando os territórios de desenvolvimento e sugerindo ações para desenvolvimento da atividade no estado. Utilizou-se dados secundários do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), da Associação Brasileira da Piscicultura (Peixe-BR) e da Associação de Criadores de Camarão do Piauí (ACCP), que foram confrontados com estudos técnico-científicos acerca da atividade. Em 2019, o Piauí produziu 13,8 mil t de pescado de origem aquícola, em um total de 4.664 empreendimentos. Dos 12 territórios de desenvolvimento (TD) do Estado, o TD Entre Rios foi o que apresentou a maior produção, com 3.703 t, principalmente em função da elevada disponibilidade hídrica e da logística privilegiada em relação ao principal mercado consumidor, a região metropolitana de Teresina. Em termos de valor da produção, o TD Planície Litorânea assumiu papel de destaque, com 47,4 milhões BRL, visto que concentra as iniciativas de carcinicultura marinha do Estado. A maioria dos empreendimentos está situada no TD Cocais, onde a piscicultura é segmento mais desenvolvido. Embora algumas regiões apresentem bom potencial para o desenvolvimento da aquicultura, com recursos naturais, clima favorável, e infraestrutura adequada de estradas, a produção aquícola do estado ainda é modesta, muito aquém do que pode vir a ser. A implantação de políticas públicas eficientes e incentivos que possam ajudar a superar os obstáculos que a aquicultura piauiense vem enfrentando ao longo dos anos é fator decisivo para o aproveitamento da grande vocação aquícola do Piauí.
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We herein investigated Lactobacillus rhamnosus as a probiotic, paraprobiotic and their synbiotic combination in the diet of dourado Salminus brasiliensis. Two hundred and forty juvenile S. brasiliensis with average weight and length of 6.78 ± 1.65 g and 8.97 ± 0.42 cm were randomly distributed in 16 experimental units (300 L) under four treatments: diet without additive (control), 0.02% probiotic (L. rhamnosus 10⁸ CFU), 2.0% paraprobiotic (inactive L. rhamnosus 10¹⁰ CFU) and synbiotic (probiotic + paraprobiotic), all in quadruplicate, for 45 days. Then, zootechnical performance, hemato-biochemicals (pre-and post-challenge), intestinal and hepatic histomorphometric analyses were performed, in addition to a bacterial challenge with Aeromonas hydrophila. The feed intake was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the probiotic group. The allomeric condition factors were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in fish from the paraprobiotic and synbiotic groups. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in the blood count between the supplemented groups and the control group. However, significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in the blood count between the pre- and post-challenge periods. Fish in the synbiotic groups had higher total villi height and villi height when compared to fish in the probiotic and control group. The serosa were significantly (p < 0.05) thicker in the intestines of fish from the probiotic and synbiotic groups. Goblet cells were significantly numerous (p < 0.05) in fish from the synbiotic group. In conclusion, the use of 0.02% probiotic, 2.0% paraprobiotic, and synbiotic proved to be a promising practice due to their action on productive performance, enabling weight gain similar to that of control group with lower feed intake. In addition to improving intestinal immune-histomosphometric parameters, possibly promoting an improved condition in facing intestinal pathogens.
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Os 102 aparelhos digestivos analisados foram provenientes de espécimes capturados no Pantanal de Mato Grosso, nos municípios do Poconé e Barão de Melgaço. O estudo da vegetação aquática, ciliar e de áreas inundáveis foi conduzido nas áreas onde os espécimes de "pacu" foram capturados. Foram considerados também dados biométricos do "pacu", tais como: comprimento total do esôfago, do intestino e do estômago.This study is part of the "pacu" (Colossoma mitrei Berg 1895) project of biotecnology. The studies were conducted in areas of Pantanal, municipalities of Poconé and Barão de Melgaço (Mato Grosso, Brasil). In conjunction with the vegetation study, the stomach contents od 102 espécimes of "pacu" were analized. The results indicate that Colossoma mitrei's custom feeding is herbivorous.
Article
Brazil’s aquaculture production has increased rapidly during the last two decades, growing from basically zero in the 1980s to over one half million (metric) tons in 2011. However, with an increased focus on the domestic market and native species, the development in Brazil has been very different from most other successful aquaculture producers, particularly in Latin America. As in many other countries, the development started with introduced international species such as shrimp and tilapia in a typical developing country fashion, but has shifted to an increasing share of native species and focus on the domestic market. This article analyzes the main aspects concerning this development by the relative productivity of the main species, regulations and markets. Regulations and the technology spreading from international species may be considered as important factors for this somewhat unusual development. The future prospects for the Brazilian aquaculture industry development are positive, since there is not only space available for expansion for both exotic and native species, but also an untapped domestic market.
Article
The South American continent is known for its high production and exports in fisheries and aquaculture, but has not reached its full potential in fish farming. The latest data on fish production in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela were explored in this review. Aspects of biology, production, market and health of the species most produced in South America are described in detail. These species include the round fish (Colossoma spp., Piaractus spp. and hybrids) and catfish (Pseudoplatystoma spp. and hybrids), in addition to the promising pirarucu Arapaima gigas, yellowtail tetra Astyanax altiparanae and silver catfish Rhamdia quelen. Among the countries mentioned, Chile and Brazil are two of the largest intensive fish producers in the world. Chile relies primarily on marine fish, whereas Brazil is prominent for continental production. Special emphasis is given to the black pacu Colossoma macropomum because it is a commonly farmed fish in South American countries and offers several desirable productive characteristics (domesticated, omnivorous and easy to reproduce). Furthermore, this fish has the greatest potential to compete economically with tilapia production in South America. The production of native fish is currently overtaking the production of exotic species in some countries, which is considered a milestone for South American aquaculture. Regarding diseases, the main pathogens are similar to those observed throughout the world, such as Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, different species of monogeneans and trichodinids, and the bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila. Local pathogens, such as the parasites Perulernaea gamitanae and Goezia spinulosa, are also concerning.
Technical Report
In the early 1980s, Italy played a major role in the development of modern aquaculture in the Mediterranean region and production of fish and shellfish increased from the 1980s to the early 2000s. Stable productions were observed in 2002-2013, both for freshwater and marine species, while significant fluctuations characterized shellfish production over the years. Forty species of fish, shellfish and crustaceans are farmed, but 97 percent of the production is based on five species: rainbow trout in freshwater and European seabass, gilthead seabream, Mediterranean mussel, and Japanese carpet shell in marine waters. Italian aquaculture can be divided into three main farming systems: extensive fish culture (ponds, confined coastal lagoons, “valli”), intensive fish culture (land-based, inshore and offshore cages) and shellfish culture (suspended and bottom culture). In 2013, there were 820 aquaculture companies, mainly located in the north (64 percent). Shellfish companies accounted for over 50 percent of total companies and involved more than 5 000 workers. In the last decade some intensive marine land-based farms moved to the open sea for conflicts for land use in coastal areas. However, the high bureaucratic commitment and the complex and expensive licensing systems have not facilitated the start of new aquaculture enterprises. National aquaculture production was 140 846 tonnes in 2013, for a total value of around EUR 393 million. Mussel production accounted for 63 percent in weight and 44 percent in value. The freshwater and marine sector represented respectively 28 percent and 9 percent in weight and 32 percent and 24 percent in value. Italy accounted for 13 percent of European (EU27) aquaculture productions in weight in 2012, ranking fourth after Spain, France and UK, and 10.7 percent in value (FAO, 2015). Italy is the EU largest producer of Japanese carpet shell (94.2 percent in weight), covers over 70 percent of the production of Mediterranean mussel and is the leading producer of caviar in the EU. Italy is a net importer of seafood products, with imports 8 times higher that exports in 2013. Per capita seafood consumption declined in recent years from 20.8 kg down to 19.5 kg in 2013, with 3.8 kg consumption of aquaculture products. Within the reform action requested by the European Commission for aquaculture [COM(2013) 229] the General Directorate for Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies prepared the 2014-2020 National Multiannual Strategic Plan for Aquaculture, with the aim of re-organizing national aquaculture and promoting strategic interventions according to production characteristics, regional specializations and environmental vocations.
Article
Colossoma macropomum is an indigenous fish species from the Amazon region. The amino acid profile of its body protein proved to be similar to that of other fish species. Soya meal and fish meal have, based on their amino acid profiles, a comparable protein quality. This hypothesis was confirmed in a feeding trial. As soya meal is less palatable than fish meal, more soya in the diet tends to decrease feed uptake and growth rate, but increases protein utilization efficiency. Growth of C. macropomum is fast and requires a dietary protein content of approximately 43%. Fish growing at maximal speed displayed a protein utilization efficiency of only 50% of the maximal possible efficiency. In ad libitum fed C macropomum 20 - 30% of the feed remains uneaten. In spite of this wasted feed, the feed uptake/weight gain ratio ranged between 0.57 and 0.71 with a high quality feed. Increasing the feeding frequency from one to five meals per day increased feed uptake and growth. Fish displayed a clear daily bio-rhythm with maximal feed uptake in the late afternoon. Lipid addition to the diet increased the protein utilization efficiency less than reported for salmon. An increased dietary protein content increased the body protein content and decreased the body lipid content. Adaptation of the size of the internal organs to the characteristics of the diet is possibly the cause that diet composition affects the body composition of fish. Accumulated data were analyzed by an empirical and an explanatory model. Both methods identified protein ration as the major variable determining fish growth. In describing the data, the average errors of both methods were similar. However, the empirical model produced more outlying values. It was concluded that the explanatory model with some minor improvements can be turned into a useful tool for research and practical management. Fast growth and a flexible body composition make C. macropomum a suitable study object for the development of improved fish growth models.