Improving the Reproductive Success of the Spotted Wolf by Characterising Its Nutritional Requirements and Implementing Zootechnical Improvements

The Canadian fish farming industry is characterized by the dominance of salmonid farming, which limits its development. According to various stakeholders, growth in this industry would be stimulated by diversification of the species produced.

The domestication of a first flock of spotted wolffish (WF – Anarchias minor) by the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) and the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) in 1998, and the scientific studies carried out on these individuals, made it possible to appreciate the potential of the WF as a new species for commercial farming for the very first time. In 2019, an encouraging economic feasibility study for WF production prompted a major investment by the Amar Group (Norway), via its subsidiary Amar Seafood (Montreal), to set up the first WF farm in America, in Grande-Rivière (eastern Quebec).

However, this study noted two main obstacles to productivity in this industry: low incubation success and low larval survival. These two limitations suggest insufficient investment by females in egg maturation. It is suspected that the current diet, which is not specific to the species, is inadequate and is leading to poor broodstock health.

The main aim of the project is to understand the nutritional requirements of spotted wolffish, with a view to developing a highly digestible diet to improve reproductivity success. To achieve this, the digestibility of different feeds and their impact on gamete quality and incubation success will be assessed.