Laboratory Spawning And Larval Rearing Of Red Drum And Southern Flounder

Laboratory spawning and larval rearing studies were conducted with red drum (Scianenops ocellata) and southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) from 1974 through 1977. Adult fish were placed in 29.92 kl spawning tanks equipped with biological filters and subjected to photoperiods and temperatures regulated to simulate seasonal variations. Red drum spawned 52 times producing 6.0 X 107 eggs. Southern flounder spawned 13 times producing 1.2 X 105 eggs. Eggs were collected and incubated, and larvae were reared to fingerling size. This paper describes techniques used to produce fingerling red drum and southern flounder.