1. BIVALVES
Crassostrea rhizophorae (mangrove oyster): It is indigenous and found in both marine and brackish waters in the Caribbean. It is commercially exploited in Cuba and Puerto Rico. This oyster is cultivated in Cuba, and experiments have started in Venezuela. It is cultured at Bowden, and the possibilities of culture in other areas of the country are being investigated.
Isognomon alatus (flat “oyster”): Reported to occur naturally in Oyster Bay, Falmouth; Bogue Island, Montego Bay; Port Royal, Kingston and Drainage Channel, St. Thomas. The two members of the study group saw thick clusters of these oysters attached to poles and mangrove roots in a tidal creek at Green Island. A literature survey has not revealed any reports of commercial or experimental culture trials. On the north coast the flat oysters are collected and sold fresh or pickled in brine.
2. FINFISHES
Tilapia mossambica (tilapia): In Jamaica it has spread to brackish and marine environments and reportedly tolerates salinities up to 75 ‰. It grows well in ponds at salinities of 35–40 ‰. The spawning of T. mossambica is claimed to be inhibited in salt water. No report available on commercial culture in the open sea, but with the above characteristics it should be suitable for culture in marine waters (see also Annex 5 for more information on tilapias).
Tilapia nilotica (Nile tilapia): This tilapia thrives and reproduces at salinities between 13.5 and 29 ‰, and has been observed to survive salinities up to 35 ‰. Adults readily take to pelleted food.
Mugil cephalus (striped mullet, grey mullet): It is euryhaline and indigenous. M. cephalus has worldwide distribution and is said to be the fastest growing of the mullets. Its salinity tolerance is in the range of 0–75 ‰. In Egypt is is claimed to take to rice bran feed. Schools of young M. cephalus are usually seen swimming towards the estuaries of Jamaica during the summer.
Mugil curema (white mullet): Like M. cephalus, it is indigenous to Jamaica. It is euryhaline and young specimens are abundant in estuarine areas during the summer. M. curema are cultivated in brackish water ponds in Brazil.
Reef fishes of the family Carangidae, Serranidae and Lutjanidae (jacks, groupers and snappers, respectively): Study on the occurrence of species belonging to the above families conducted in 1974–76 listed Caranx bartholomaei (yellow jack) and C. ruber (bar jack) of the first group; Cephalopholis fulva (Coney sea bass), Petrometopon cruentatus (sea bass) and Epinephelus guttatus (red hind) of the second hind group; and Lutjanus apodes (schoolmaster snapper), L. mahogani (mahogany snapper), L. synagris (lane snapper) and Ocyurus chrysurus (yellow tail snapper) of the last group, as present in the reefs of Portland Bight, Port Royal and Negril, but the juveniles composed less than 2.0 percent of the total specimens collected.
No trials on the culture of the above species have been reported, although rearing of related species found in the Far East has been successful.
3. MARINE PENAEID SHRIMPS
Seven species of marine penaeid shrimps have been reported in Jamaican waters, but only the four listed below are likely to have culture possibilities and potential.
Penaeus schmitti (southern white shrimp): Juveniles are found in estuarine waters; the adults in marine waters. Maximum size of adults recorded - 175 mm for the male, 235 mm for the female. Experiments on the culture of P. schmitti have started in Cuba.
Penaeus duorarum (northern pink shrimp): Can and do live in waters with low salinity, but adults are marine. Maximum length recorded for males - 269 mm; for females - 280 mm. Culture of this species has been tried in the United States.
Penaeus aztecus (northern brown shrimp): Juveniles are both estuarine and marine. Maximum size recorded for males - 195 mm; for females - 236 mm. Aquaculture experiments with P. aztecus have been conducted in the United States where they attained 10.3 cm and 9 g in 145 days in fertilized ponds. Salinity tolerance: 16–35 ‰.
Peaneus brasiliensis (red spotted shrimp): Maximum size recorded - 191 mm for males and 150 mm for females. Juveniles are estuarine and adults are marine. These shrimps are being cultured in brackish water ponds in Brazil.
The presence of the above species in Jamaica does not mean of course that other species of marine shrimp successfully reared on a commercial scale in other parts of the world cannot be cultured in Jamaica. For example, P. vannamei and P. stylirostris, native to Panama and Ecuador, have performed well in a Philippine pond. P. japonicus is presently cultured in Brazil. Advances in maturation and spawning of shrimps in captivity no longer requires that gravid females for hatchery operations be caught in the open waters.
4. SEAWEEDS
Gracilaria sp. (red algae): Found attached to limestone rocks under three metres of water at White Horse. Reported also as occurring naturally in Morant Bay, Holland Bay, Port Maria and Occho Rios. Gracilaria verrucosa are distributed worldwide. In Tokyo Bay they are cultivated by putting small pieces of algae in twists of ropes and set in nutrient rich waters. Gracilaria sp., on the other hand, are grown in Tokyo Bay also by suspending clusters of algal filaments in the water. They are cultured in Taiwan (China) in brackish water ponds.
5. ARTEMIA SALINA (brine shrimp)
Widely distributed in marine and brackish waters, but the population is localized very specifically in salt lakes in coastal as well as inland areas where the salinity, as a result of evaporation, becomes mortal for Artemia predators. Artemia can be cultured in salt pans side by side with solar salt production. The salt pond near Yallahs has been suggested for Artemia culture. However, this lagoon is connected to the sea through a passage which closes intermittently. The hypersalinity required for production occurs only when the passage has been closed for some time.
The salinity reading on the refractometre taken during the study group's visit (after six months of drought) was 114 ‰. This is not high enough to exclude possibilities of other fish in the area. There are no salt pans for solar salt production on the island.
6. STROMBUS GIGAS (queen conch)
It provides the basis for an important fishery which is rapidly declining due to over exploitation. The culture of queen conch is a subject of much effort in the Caribbean. While conch (Strombus gigas) has been hatched and the larvae reared through metamorphosis, it is not yet cultured on a commercial scale. Until the 1980's, the interest in conch rearing was stimulated basically by a wish for repopulating over-exploited fishing grounds. With the recent rapid increase in the price of conch, the idea of culturing the conch to market size in captivity is gaining ground.
7. TRIPNEUSTES sp. (sea urchin)
It is indigenous and widely distributed in marine waters. Its roe is considered a delicacy.
8. ERETMOCHELYS IMBRICATA AND CHELONIA MYDAS (hawksbill and green turtle)
They are indigenous to the Caribbean area. Green turtles have been farmed in the Cayman Islands where the marketable size of 45 kg was reached in three-four years. A turtle farm requires considerable area and capital, and the operating expenses are high. Export to the USA which was the largest market in the area, even of fancy items emanating from turtles, is now banned.
