University of New Hampshire,
McNair Scholar, 2017
Major:?Marine, Estuarine, and Freshwater Biology
Mentor:?Dr. Michael Chambers,?School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering
Research Title:?A Comparative Analysis on Various Feed Types on the Reproductive Success of Ornamental Clownfish
Abstract:
The ocean ecosystems have been facing many problems that are caused by human disturbances. One of the main problems is overfishing. Overfishing happens not only for the food industry but also for the ornamental industry. The demand for exotic fish has been on the rise and every day more fish are taken out of their natural habitat to fill these tanks. The aim of this study is to lessen the strain that humans are putting on wild clownfish populations. This will be done by breeding fish in the lab, therefore there will be no effect on the environment. This study will specifically consider what feeds will yield the highest performing breeding pair of clownfish. There will be three different feeds that will be given to the clownfish: Fertility Frenzy, Brine Shrimp, and White Worms. The prediction for this study is that the white worms will yield the most amount of eggs that will also have the highest survival rate. The white worms are easy to culture and can be fed a wide variety of diets to pack them with the most nutrients for conditioning and breeding clownfish. This study will provide a better understanding on how to condition and spawn clownfish fish in an aquaculture setting. By knowing this, many more systems can be put in place until eventually there are no fish being taken from the wild to fill ornamental tanks.
