Spawning and early larval rearing of Holothuria atra

The Coastal Aquaculture Centre (CAC) of the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM) in Solomon Islands has started to assess the potential of enhancing populations of sea cucumbers associated with coral reefs (Anon, 1993). The first step in this process is to determine whether it is possible to produce juvenile sea cucumbers en masse at low cost. To this end, the CAC is holding broodstock of a variety of species for experiments on induction of spawning and larval rearing. Although the emphasis is on species of high commercial value, such as white teatfish (Holothuria fuscogilva), the locally abundant, lowvalue species, Holothuria atra, is also being maintained in captivity as an experimental animal. This short note presents the results of an initial attempt to spawn H. atra in captivity using heat stress, and to rear the larvae using methods similar to those developed by the CAC for larvae of giant clams.