In South Carolina, a joint state-federal program was initiated in 1977 to develop spawning and rearing techniques for Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrhynchus, and to investigate its culture potential. Good progress has been made in developing the hatchery technology. Brood stock collection sites and techniques have been established and suitable transportation and holding procedures demonstrated for these large fish (˜ 40–100 kg). Homospecific hypophyseal injections were employed successfully to induce two spawnings. The artificially fertilized eggs, incubated in MacDonald hatching jars, hatched in about 120 hours at 17–18°C. Yolk sac was abosrbed by day 10 and the fry were weaned on a diet consisting of beef liver and salmon mash supplemented with live Artemia. During the second trial, fish hatched at 7.8 mm mean total length obtained a size of 176.7 mm in 204 days. Several pond culture studies were undertaken with juvenile sturgeon. Although most fish eventually died (due to poor environmental conditions) some wild-caught juveniles were successfully maintained under pond conditions for about 20 months and one brood female survived for 15 months. Pond-held fish were fed trout chow supplemented with pieces of beef liver. Feeding activity could be observed at night along dike areas.
