COMMERCIAL CULTURE OF STRIPED SNAKEHEAD (CHANNA STRIATUS)

The striped snakehead or murrel is a highly prized foodfish in Asia. Several thousand metric tons of frozen snakeheads are imported annually to supply the existing demand for this fish by the domestic Asian seafood market. The striped snakehead was introduced to the Island of Oahu, Hawaii, in the early 1800s, where a small established population remains. The successfully completed Phase I research established the feasibility of captive snakehead maturation and spawning during the natural spawning season in Hawaii. Previously completed research successfully addresses the constraints of larval and juvenile feed training on artificial diets, and juvenile cannibalism. The proposed Phase II research will focus on improving the consistency of production of hatched snakehead larvae, and on improving the growout performance of snakehead juveniles to market sizes. This will be accomplished by 1) characterizing the annual maturation cycle and determining the effect of water temperature increases; 2) evaluating the quantity, quality and seasonality of spontaneous spawns following the periodic draining of broodstock tanks, and following spawning induction using FDA approved substances; 3) determining the effect of feed type on spawn quality; and 4) evaluating the effects of water temperature, fish density, feed type, and methods of feed application on growout performance from juvenile to market sizes.