Chemical degumming increases larvae size and facilitates the commercial production of Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) eggs

Abstract

9Many fishes produce adhesive eggs that confer protection from currents and 1 0 predators in the wild, but that are more difficult to disinfect and aerate under 1 1 aquaculture conditions. Removing egg adhesiveness ('degumming') has proved 1 2 beneficial in the culture of many fish, and a recent gap analysis identified this as a 1 3 potential way of increasing hatching success and minimize the risk of infectious 1 4 diseases in the culture of lumpfish (Cyclopteurs lumpus), a novel species to 1 5 aquaculture. We tested the efficacy of the enzyme alcalase (0.02%, 0.2%, 2%) as a 1 6 degumming agent for lumpfish eggs, and examined its effects on hatching success, 1 7 survival, and larvae size under laboratory and commercial conditions. A five-minute 1 8 exposure to 0.2% and 2% alcalase decreased chorion thickness by 14% and 1 9 resulted in 61-75% degumming rates, without any negative effects on hatching rate, 2 0 3