JP7556521B2 - Equipment for hatching and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for hatching and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish that can provide suitable control for the hatching of eggs required for the farming of coastal fish.

In recent years, a combination of factors including the global population increase, the growth of the middle class, economic growth in developing countries, and improved tastes for seafood has led to an increase in seafood consumption worldwide. In addition, the development of technology for harvesting seafood (fishing methods) and distribution technology has led to an increase in the amount of seafood harvested.

In this way, the demand for fish and shellfish and other marine resources is increasing at the same time as the corresponding increase in supply capacity. This simultaneous increase has raised concerns about a decrease in marine resources and, in some cases, depletion. In particular, the culture of eating seafood has developed in emerging countries, which in the past had little seafood as a food culture, and this has led to an increase in demand for seafood in many countries. This, combined with population growth and economic growth, is causing a decrease and depletion of marine resources all over the world.

In addition to the increase in demand and the resulting increase in supply, marine resources are declining due to rising sea temperatures and environmental deterioration caused by global warming. As a result, marine resources are declining or approaching depletion more rapidly than the catch.

In fact, there are indications that, depending on the species of fish, catches may be restricted under a global framework. The catches allocated to each country are not at a level that can meet the demand and desires of each country, and in Japan, which has historically consumed a large amount of fishery resources, it is becoming difficult for the supply to meet the demand and desires of the country.

Furthermore, fishing limits and quotas can change depending on the nation's power. In recent years, Japan's relative economic power has declined and the country's national power has declined, resulting in fishing quotas that are often unable to fully meet demand. In addition, even in countries that traditionally had little culture of eating seafood, tastes are changing and people are eating more seafood. As a result, an increasing number of countries and regions are requesting fishing quotas in lieu of fishing limits. This, too, makes it difficult for Japan to obtain a catch volume that meets its demand.

Of course, even for species of fish and shellfish for which quotas are not managed, differences in fishing capacity and market procurement power can make it difficult for Japan to secure fishery resources to meet demand.

Thus, there is the macro issue of the decline and depletion of fishery resources worldwide, and the micro issue of Japan's difficulty in securing fishery resources to meet demand, given its relative position in the world. Furthermore, these macro and micro issues are in an extremely severe situation for some fish species. For some fish species, it is becoming extremely difficult to catch them in the wild.

In these circumstances, there is a growing demand to move away from harvesting wild fish and shellfish and towards the development of fishery resources through aquaculture and stock farming. This is to ensure a stable supply of fishery resources and meet demand. There is also a goal to prevent the depletion of wild fishery resources and to create a sustainable fishery business.

Technologies related to aquaculture and farming have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3).

JP 2009-284828 A JP 2016-77267 A Utility Model Registration No. 3150213

In the above-mentioned state of the art, large migratory fish such as tuna and salmon that migrate over wide areas are actively farmed and raised due to their high unit price and wide demand. In addition, these large migratory fish are often farmed after harvesting their young. For this reason, farming and raising techniques are well developed for some of these migratory fish.

On the other hand, for coastal fish, which are often small, farming and aquaculture techniques have not been fully developed depending on the species. In particular, coastal fish have been rapidly declining in number in recent years, and catches have been falling. In addition, environmental changes caused by global warming have changed the migration routes and fishing areas of coastal fish, making it more difficult to harvest them through coastal fisheries. Alternatively, environmental changes are causing a decline in the resource.

For these coastal fish, it is possible to harvest the fry and then farm them, but because they are small and it is difficult to identify areas to harvest the fry, it is required to start farming by spawning parent fish rather than starting with harvesting the fry. In other words, it is required to maintain high accuracy in the hatching of spawned eggs.

Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing larvae of homing fish that go through the hatching period after egg collection and fertilization, the fish farming period, and the breeding period before being released into rivers, and is characterized by applying a temperature change of an arbitrary daily cycle to the production water used in part or all of the hatching period, the fish farming period, and the breeding period.

Patent Document 1 relates to a production method in which fish are already grown as juveniles, and is not a technology that can be applied to the hatching of spawned eggs.

Patent Document 2 discloses a land-based tuna rearing device equipped with a juvenile fish rearing tank in which juvenile tuna are reared until they become juvenile fish, characterized in that the juvenile fish rearing tank has a first pipe for receiving juvenile fish that have finished rearing in the juvenile fish rearing tank from the juvenile fish rearing tank by a water flow.

Patent Document 2 relates to a breeding device for raising tuna fry to immature fish, and cannot be applied to the hatching of inshore fish eggs. In addition, it does not provide any techniques or suggestions for hatching, and is not related to the hatching or raising of inshore fish eggs.

Patent Document 3 discloses a naturally floating fish egg artificial hatching and rearing tank that is configured in such a way that two types of straightening plates A11a and B11b, which have multiple circular holes 14 at regular intervals and different hole positions, are alternately installed in three pieces under a lower net 10 installed directly under a rearing floor material 12 in an artificial hatching tank for fish eggs, and that the hatching chamber 5 and the drainage chamber 6 are separated by three removable weir-like movable weirs 8 as drainage side partition plates.

Patent Document 3 is primarily concerned with the rearing of fry hatched from eggs, and does not aim to improve the accuracy of egg hatching. As a result, there is no disclosure or suggestion of rearing technology that will improve hatching accuracy. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 is concerned with a rearing tower that is structurally compatible with hatched fry and rearing the fry to the next stage, and does not include technology for improving hatching accuracy.

As such, the conventional technology has a problem in that it does not propose any technology related to hatching and cultivating inshore fish eggs. If this technology is not resolved, there is a problem that it will be impossible to realize aquaculture of inshore fish, which are declining as a marine resource. As a result, it will not be possible to meet the demand for inshore fish.

In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide an apparatus for hatching and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish that enables the spawning and subsequent hatching of coastal fish eggs with high accuracy.

In view of the above problems, the incubating and cultivating device for fertilized eggs of coastal fish includes a container capable of accommodating fertilized eggs of coastal fish and cultivating water;
A temperature control unit that controls the temperature of the growing water;
A temperature setting unit that switches between a plurality of temperature ranges for the temperature of the growing water;
a light irradiation control unit that controls irradiation of the container with light;
A water flow control unit that controls the flow of the growing water contained in the container;
A feeding unit that supplies food to the inside of the storage container and stores the food,
The temperature range is
a hatchable temperature range in which the fertilized eggs can hatch;
a growth temperature range in which the seedlings hatched from the fertilized eggs can grow;
A growth promotion temperature range, which is a temperature range in which the seedlings grow in a shorter period of time;
At least three of the following are included:
The hatching temperature range is wider than the growth temperature range,
The growth-enabling temperature range is wider than the growth-promoting temperature range,
the temperature setting unit selects one of the hatching temperature range, the growth temperature range, and the growth promotion temperature range for the temperature control of the growth water, and outputs the selection result to the temperature control unit;
The temperature control unit controls the temperature of the growing water based on the selection result,
Further comprising an overall control unit for controlling at least one operation of the temperature control unit, the light irradiation control unit, the water flow control unit, and the feeding unit;
The overall control unit controls the operation of at least one of the temperature control unit, the light irradiation control unit, the water flow control unit, and the feeding unit in response to each of the growth stages on the time axis of the fertilized egg, in response to the difference in the growth stage,
The growth stage includes:
Incubation period,
First feeding period,
Second predation period,
The third feeding period includes at least four periods.

The incubating and cultivating device for fertilized eggs of coastal fish of the present invention can artificially control the optimal temperature range for spawning of coastal fish. As a result of this control, it is possible to realize spawning and fertilization with improved accuracy in hatching and post-hatching cultivation.

In addition, by controlling the temperature range that is optimal for hatching and post-hatching development, it is possible to ensure that fertilized eggs hatch and develop after hatching. In this case, even if only fertilized eggs are contained in the container, there is the advantage that hatching and post-hatching development are ensured.

In the farming of coastal fish from eggs, it is necessary to increase the accuracy of spawning and hatching of the eggs. It is also necessary to make it easy to raise the eggs after they have hatched. The coastal fish fertilized egg hatching and rearing device of the present invention can achieve these goals, and can contribute to increasing the declining marine resources of coastal fish.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of the incubating and cultivating device for fertilized eggs of coastal fish of the present invention (hereinafter, abbreviated as "the incubating and cultivating device" as necessary) in the overall aquaculture. 1 is a block diagram of a coastal fish hatching and rearing device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a temperature range according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an hatching and rearing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating light irradiation by a light irradiation control unit in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an hatching and rearing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an hatching and rearing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an hatching and rearing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams showing growth stages in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing control corresponding to a growth stage in the second embodiment of the present invention.

The first aspect of the present invention relates to an apparatus for hatching and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish, the apparatus comprising: a container capable of accommodating fertilized eggs of coastal fish and cultivating water;
A temperature control unit for controlling the temperature of the cultivation water;
A temperature setting unit that sets a plurality of temperature bands used for controlling the temperature control unit,
The temperature range is
Hatching temperature range,
Growth temperature range,
Growth promotion temperature range,
At least three of the following are included:
The temperature control unit controls the temperature of the growth water based on one of a plurality of temperature ranges set by the temperature setting unit.

This configuration allows for reliable and efficient hatching and rearing of fish from the fertilized egg to the fry stage.

In the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the features of the first aspect, the hatching temperature range is a temperature range in which the fertilized eggs can hatch,
The growth temperature range is the temperature range in which the seedlings hatched from the fertilized eggs can grow.
The growth-promoting temperature range is a temperature range in which seedling growth occurs in a shorter period of time.

This configuration allows for more efficient hatching of fertilized eggs and their subsequent development.

In the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first or second aspect of the present invention, the hatching temperature range is wider than the growth temperature range,
The growth-enabling temperature range is wider than the growth-promoting temperature range.

This structure allows for greater reliability and allows for growth in a short period of time.

The fourth aspect of the present invention, which is an incubating and cultivating device for fertilized eggs of coastal fish, in addition to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, is adapted to incubate and cultivate the fish from fertilized eggs to fry.

This configuration allows for efficient cultivation of fry before they enter the final stage of farming into adult fish. Furthermore, by focusing on this stage, it is possible to prevent parent fish from eating fertilized eggs, or large adult fish from eating fry, thereby improving the overall farming capacity.

In the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the features of the fourth aspect, the incubator contains fertilized eggs of coastal fish,
The young fish that grow in the holding containers are then transferred to the aquaculture equipment.

This configuration helps to avoid problems with fish larger than fry being mixed in and eating the fry and seedlings that are smaller than fry.

The sixth aspect of the present invention relates to an apparatus for hatching and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish, which, in addition to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, further includes a light irradiation control unit that controls the irradiation of light to the storage container.

This configuration allows you to control the light exposure time corresponding to sunlight, thereby allowing you to appropriately control growth, etc.

The seventh aspect of the present invention relates to an inshore fish fertilized egg hatching and rearing device, which, in addition to any one of the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, further includes a water flow control unit that controls the flow of the rearing water contained inside the storage container.

This configuration allows the water current to help the seedlings move and be eaten properly, ensuring proper growth.

In the eighth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the seventh aspect, the water flow control unit of the incubator for hatching and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish has a water exchange mechanism that exchanges the cultivating water inside the container by supplying and discharging water.

This configuration allows for the purification of the water required for cultivation. It also allows for proper water flow through water changes.

In the ninth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the seventh or eighth aspect of the invention, the water flow control unit further has an aeration mechanism that adds air bubbles to the cultivation water.

This configuration allows for the creation of an appropriate water flow that supports the movement and feeding of seedlings while maintaining the dissolved oxygen in the growing water.

The tenth aspect of the present invention relates to an apparatus for hatching and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish, which, in addition to any one of the first to ninth aspects of the present invention, further includes a feeding section that supplies food to the inside of the storage container.

This configuration allows you to provide the appropriate amount of food as needed.

The eleventh aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for hatching and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish, which further comprises, in addition to the tenth aspect, a general control unit for controlling at least one of a temperature control unit, a light irradiation control unit, a water flow control unit, and a feeding unit;
the overall control unit controls at least one of the temperature control unit, the light irradiation control unit, the water flow control unit, and the feeding unit in response to each of the growth stages of the fertilized eggs;
The growth stage is
Incubation period,
First feeding period,
Second predation period,
The third feeding period,
The present invention includes at least four of the above.

This configuration allows for more efficient and appropriate growth in a short period of time by controlling each of these growth stages. In particular, it allows for growth up to the juvenile stage.

In the twelfth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the features of the eleventh aspect, the overall control unit further comprises:
(1) During the hatching period:
The temperature of the growth water controlled by the temperature control unit is set to a temperature range in which growth is possible.
In the running water control section, the water exchange rate per day in the water exchange mechanism is substantially set to "0" and the air bubbles are weakly added in the aeration mechanism.
Controlled as follows:
(2) During the first feeding period,
The temperature of the growth water controlled by the temperature control unit is set to a temperature range in which growth is possible.
In the running water control section, the water exchange rate per day in the water exchange mechanism is set to "0.1 to 0.5" and the air bubbles are weakly added in the aeration mechanism.
The rotifers are fed from the feeding section.
Controlled as follows:
(3) During the second feeding period,
The temperature of the growth water controlled by the temperature control unit is set to a temperature range in which growth is possible.
In the running water control section, the water exchange rate per day in the water exchange mechanism is set to "0.5 to 2.0" and the air bubble application in the aeration mechanism is set to weak to medium.
Feed Artemia from the feeding area.
Controlled as follows:
(4) During the third feeding period,
The temperature of the growth water controlled by the temperature control unit is set to a temperature range wider than the growth temperature range,
In the running water control section, the water exchange rate per day in the water exchange mechanism is set to 2 or more, and the air bubbles in the aeration mechanism are set to strong.
Feed the compound feed from the feeding section.
Control it as follows.

This configuration allows for appropriate rearing of fish at each stage of growth, ensuring that fish are eventually reared to fry.

In the incubating and cultivating device for fertilized eggs of coastal fish according to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the twelfth aspect, the temperature control unit changes the temperature of the cultivating water to a growth-enabling temperature range and controls it to a growth-promoting temperature range during at least one of the hatching period, the first predation period, and the second predation period.

This configuration allows for more efficient growth.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

(Inventor's Analysis)
As explained in the prior art, there is a demand for farming and keeping of coastal fish. In farming and keeping, there is a method of harvesting juvenile fish and raising them to adulthood in artificial or natural cages. This type of farming and keeping that starts with juvenile fish is easy because it only requires raising them until they are controlled, but it requires harvesting of the juvenile fish. With the decline in marine resources in recent years, it has become difficult to harvest juvenile fish in the natural environment.

In addition, harvesting large quantities of juvenile fish in the wild for aquaculture and farming has the potential to reduce fishery resources in the future. Unlike adult fish, it is difficult to grasp the population of juvenile fish, making it difficult to control the harvesting of juvenile fish. Furthermore, harvesting a large number of juvenile fish will ultimately reduce the opportunities for them to grow into adults in the wild and increase their offspring. This could ultimately lead to a reduction in fishery resources in the future.

It is necessary to address these issues of cultivating and raising fry, and it has been analyzed that spawning from parent fish and raising these fertilized eggs to fry are important. After raising the fry, it is important to cultivate and raise them from fry to adult fish.

However, the ecology of many species of coastal fish has not yet been fully elucidated, and there is a problem in that the technology for aquaculture and farming, which begins with spawning (fertilized eggs) from parent fish, has not been fully accumulated. For example, there is a problem in that the technology for hatching fertilized eggs and raising them from hatching to the seedling period has not been fully developed.

The inventor analyzed that farming and raising coastal fish from eggs would be insufficient unless there was technology that covered spawning, fertilization, hatching, and rearing. He also analyzed that unless farming and raising from eggs could be realized using such technology, it would be difficult to simultaneously prevent the decline of fishery resources and secure fishery resources.

The present invention is based on such analysis by the inventors.

(Overall Overview)
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of the inshore fish fertilized egg hatching and rearing device of the present invention (hereinafter, abbreviated as "incubation and rearing device" as necessary) in the entire aquaculture. As explained in the prior art, in a situation where inshore fish resources are decreasing, it is necessary to start culturing parent fish from spawning to adult fish. This is because aquaculture in which young fish are harvested in the natural environment and then reared to adult fish will ultimately lead to a decrease or depletion of aquatic resources.

Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, the entire aquaculture process is completed by the parent fish, spawning and fertilization by the parent fish, hatching and raising the fertilized eggs into fry, and finally raising the fry into adult fish.

The present invention corresponds to the second stage in Figure 1. In the first stage, the female parent fish spawn and the male parent fish ejaculate to obtain fertilized eggs. The parent fish are stored in a storage container of the device corresponding to the first stage. The fertilized eggs obtained in this first stage are moved to a storage container for the second stage. In other words, the hatching and cultivating device of the present invention stores these fertilized eggs.

In the second stage, the fertilized eggs are hatched and raised into fry (called seedlings). The hatching and raising device of the present invention accommodates the fertilized eggs, hatches them, and raises them to the fry stage. Once raised to the fry stage, the fry are moved to the third stage device and raised until they are regulated. Once raised to adulthood, the adult fish are provided for consumption.

The hatching and cultivating device of the present invention thus houses fertilized eggs and cultivates them into fry. This corresponds to the second stage in the overall view of aquaculture shown in Figure 1.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of the inshore fish hatching and rearing device in embodiment 1 of the present invention. The incubating and rearing device 1 includes a container 2, a temperature control unit 3, and a temperature setting unit 4.

The storage container 2 can store fertilized eggs 100 of coastal fish and rearing water 20. The fertilized eggs 100 of coastal fish are obtained from a device that stores parent fish in the first stage of Figure 1. Of course, the fertilized eggs may also be obtained from the natural environment. The storage container 2 is used to start by storing the fertilized eggs 100, and then to hatch and rear them until they become fry that will be handed over to the next third stage.

The cultivation water is stored in the storage container 2 together with the fertilized eggs 100. The cultivation water 20 may be suitable for the type of coastal fish that the fertilized eggs 100 are made of. It may be natural seawater, natural seawater with some additives added, or artificially produced synthetic water. Of course, freshwater or similar water may be stored as the cultivation water 20 depending on the characteristics of the coastal fish.

The temperature control unit 3 controls the temperature of the growth water 20 contained in the storage container 2. The growth water 20 itself may be directly controlled, or the temperature of the growth water 20 may be indirectly controlled by controlling the temperature of the storage container 2. Alternatively, the temperature of the growth water may be controlled by controlling the room temperature in which the storage container 2 is placed. The hatching of the fertilized eggs 100 and the growth after hatching can be controlled by the adult fish in the temperature control unit 3.

The temperature setting unit 4 sets multiple temperature bands used for temperature control in the temperature control unit 3. The temperature control unit 3 controls the temperature of the growth water 20 based on the temperature set in the temperature setting unit 4. For this reason, the temperature setting unit 4 may be an element included in the temperature control unit 3.

The temperature setting unit 4 sets multiple temperature bands as one aspect of the temperature controlled by the temperature control unit 3. The set temperature bands are output to the temperature control unit 3, and the temperature control unit 3 controls the growth water 20 at the set temperature bands. The temperature setting unit 4 may be programmed automatically to set the temperature bands and other temperatures, or the temperature bands and other temperatures may be set by an operator through operation.

The temperature bands include at least three: a hatching temperature band, a growth-enabling temperature band, and a growth-promoting temperature band. Other temperature bands may be included. The temperature setting unit 4 may set a specific temperature in addition to setting these temperature bands. These may be stored in the temperature setting unit 4 as described above, or may be input by an operator.

The temperature control unit 3 controls the temperature of the growth water 20 based on one of the above-mentioned multiple temperature bands set by the temperature setting unit 4. Of course, the growth water 20 may be controlled based on a temperature band other than the temperature bands listed here or a specific temperature.

The hatching and rearing device 1 can appropriately control the hatching and rearing of the fertilized eggs 100 contained in the rearing water 20, mainly through temperature control by the temperature control unit 3. This appropriate control allows the fry required for the third stage, in which the fish are reared until they become adults, to be efficiently and healthily reared.

(Temperature range)
3 is a schematic diagram illustrating temperature bands in the first embodiment of the present invention, in which the vertical axis represents temperature.

The hatching temperature range is the temperature range in which fertilized eggs can hatch. The fertilized eggs 100 contained in the growth water 20 can hatch if they are in this hatching temperature range. If the temperature is outside this range, hatching will be difficult or will not occur. Or, hatching will take longer than usual.

The growth-possible temperature range is the temperature range in which the larvae and fry hatched from the fertilized eggs 100 (these are young fish that have hatched from the fertilized eggs 100. They are raised from larvae to fry.)) can grow. Although the larvae and fry can grow at temperatures outside this temperature range, there may be problems such as insufficient growth, some larvae dying without being able to grow, or slow growth. Furthermore, at temperatures outside this temperature range, there may be problems such as the larvae and fry not being able to eat enough food.

The growth-promoting temperature band is a temperature band in which the growth of hatched larvae and juveniles occurs in a shorter period of time. As shown in Figure 3, the growth-promoting temperature band is a narrower temperature band than the growth-possible temperature band. In addition, its upper and lower limit temperatures are within the upper and lower limit temperatures of the growth-possible temperature band, respectively. In other words, as shown in Figure 3, the growth-promoting temperature band is a narrow temperature band that falls within the growth-possible temperature band, including its upper and lower limit temperatures.

In this growth-promoting temperature range, larvae and fry grow to juveniles in a shorter period of time than in the growth-enabling temperature range. The faster growth of larvae and fry allows for the early cultivation of fry to be handed over to the next third stage, which reduces lead time and increases efficiency throughout the entire aquaculture process.

As is clear from Figure 3, there is a correlation between the hatching temperature band, which is wider than the growth temperature band, which is wider than the growth promotion temperature band. As shown in Figure 3, in addition to being wider, the relationship also includes an upper limit temperature and a lower limit temperature. The temperature setting unit 4 can output such temperature bands to the temperature control unit 3 to control the temperature of the growth water 20 in the temperature control unit 3. In other words, the growth water 20 is controlled to temperatures such as the hatching temperature band, the growth temperature band, and the growth promotion temperature band.

However, the actual temperature ranges (lower and upper limits) of the hatching temperature range, growth temperature range, and growth promotion temperature range may vary or be different depending on the fish species, the external environment and time of use of the hatching and cultivating device 1, and other circumstances. Also, as shown in Figure 3, there is a correlation between the temperature ranges of the three temperature ranges, but this correlation may also vary depending on the fish species, the external environment and time of use of the hatching and cultivating device 1, and other circumstances.

Here, fertilized eggs 100 of coastal fish are placed in the storage container 2. These fertilized eggs 100 are produced in a separate device. For example, parent fish are stored in a separate device, and the fertilized eggs 100 are obtained by spawning and ejaculation from these parent fish. These fertilized eggs 100 may be transferred to the storage container 2. Alternatively, fertilized eggs collected in the natural environment may be placed in the storage container 2.

The hatching and cultivating device 1 hatches and cultivates the fertilized eggs 100 contained in the container 2 from when they hatch until they become fry. Here, fry refers to young fish that have grown to a point where they can be cultivated into adult fish. After becoming fry, they are cultivated into adult fish that can be consumed in the next aquaculture device, which will be explained in the third stage, by feeding them more sufficient and larger food.

The period from the fertilized egg 100 to the fry is sometimes defined as seedlings, and this term is used in this specification in that sense. That is, the hatching and cultivating device 1 hatches and cultivates the period from the fertilized egg 100 to the fry. The fry that have grown in the container 2 are then moved to the third stage of the culturing device. In this way, the entire aquaculture system shown in Figure 1 is carried out. Within this entire aquaculture system in Figure 1, the hatching and cultivating device 1 of the present invention corresponds to the flow from the fertilized egg 100 to the fry.

(Light irradiation control unit)
Fig. 4 is a block diagram of the hatching and cultivating apparatus in embodiment 1 of the present invention. The hatching and cultivating apparatus 1 in Fig. 4 further includes a light irradiation control unit 5. The light irradiation control unit 5 controls the irradiation of light to the storage container 2. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the light irradiation by the light irradiation control unit in embodiment 1 of the present invention.

The light irradiation control unit 5 can irradiate the storage container 2 with light or block irradiation. That is, the light irradiation control unit 5 can control the duration, intensity, and timing of light irradiation. For example, it can control the duration of light irradiation per day, or the time of day for light irradiation. It can also control the time interval between light irradiation. For example, it can control how often light is irradiated, how often light is irradiated, or at a specific time.

As shown in FIG. 5, the light irradiation control unit 5 irradiates light onto the storage container 2 (or blocks the irradiation). For example, natural light (sunlight) is used as the light to be irradiated, and the light irradiation control unit 5 controls the irradiation time of this natural light. For example, during the time when natural light is being irradiated and irradiation is not desired, the natural light is blocked.

Although not shown in FIG. 5, a shielding mechanism that shields the light irradiated by the light irradiation control unit 5 may be provided. The shielding mechanism controls the irradiation time and irradiation intensity of the light irradiated to the storage container 2. The shielding mechanism may be provided separately from the light irradiation control unit 5, or may be provided inside the light irradiation control unit 5. In particular, when the light irradiation control unit 5 irradiates artificial light, the light emission of the light irradiation control unit 5 can be controlled to produce the same effect as shielding or attenuation.

Alternatively, the light irradiation control unit 5 may irradiate artificial light. For example, it may irradiate artificially created natural light or sunlight. For example, artificial light adjusted to a specific range of wavelengths using an LED or the like may be irradiated. Natural light such as sunlight is affected by the weather. For this reason, artificial light can reliably provide the necessary light irradiation.

The light irradiation control unit 5 may also irradiate light by combining natural light and artificial light. When natural light is sufficient, the light irradiation control unit 5 provides natural light to the storage container 2. On the other hand, when natural light is insufficient, the light irradiation control unit 5 irradiates artificial light to the storage container 2. At this time, when the level of natural light is insufficient, the light irradiation control unit 5 irradiates artificial light in addition to the natural light. Alternatively, artificial light is irradiated during a time period when natural light cannot be irradiated (such as when there is no natural light due to weather, or when there is no natural light such as at night).

In this way, the light irradiation control unit 5 can irradiate light while controlling the amount of time and time period required for the storage container 2. The hatching and cultivating device 1 hatches the fertilized eggs 100 contained in the storage container 2 and cultivates them into fry. In order to ensure that this hatching and cultivation is carried out in a reliable and appropriate time cycle, it is important to control the light irradiation in addition to temperature management.

The light irradiation control unit 5 controls the light irradiation to the container 2 that contains the fertilized eggs 100 and juvenile fish up to the stage of fry, so that hatching and growth can be carried out reliably and in an appropriate time cycle. The light irradiation control unit 5 may also include a light source of artificial light.

(Water flow control unit, etc.)
6 is a block diagram of the hatching and cultivating apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The hatching and cultivating apparatus 1 in FIG.

The water flow control unit 6 controls the water flow of the growth water 20 inside the storage container 2. The growth water 20 is stored in the storage container 2. Therefore, unless some operation or control is performed, the growth water 20 will be in a state of no flow or movement just being stored in the container. When hatching the fertilized eggs 100 and cultivating larvae and fry in the hatching and cultivating device 1, it is preferable to control the flow and movement of the growth water 20 that contains the fertilized eggs 100 and larvae and fry.

It is preferable that the physical state of the development water 20 be appropriately adjusted depending on the stage of the fertilized egg 100, hatching, post-hatch development, etc. At one stage, it may be appropriate for the development water 20 to have no or almost no flow or movement, while at another stage it may be appropriate for the development water 20 to have some degree of flow or movement.

The water flow control unit 6 controls the water flow, which is the flow and movement of the cultivation water 20. By controlling the water flow, it is possible to create an optimal flow and movement of the cultivation water 20 that corresponds to the stages of hatching and cultivation, from the fertilized eggs 100 to the fry, as described above.

The water flow control unit 6 also preferably controls the replacement (water exchange) of the growth water 20 inside the storage container 2 while controlling the water flow. By exchanging the water, a water flow is generated and contamination of the growth water 20 can be reduced or maintained below a certain level. In other words, the freshness of the growth water 20 can be maintained.

In addition, the replacement of the growth water 20 during water exchange can also cause a flow or movement (water current) in the growth water 20 inside the storage container 2. In other words, the water exchange operation also leads to the generation of a water current.

By controlling the water flow and water changes with the water flow control unit 6, the physical state of the growth water 20 is optimized for each stage of hatching and growth. In addition, in combination with the temperature control of the growth water 20 and the control of light irradiation to the storage container 2 as described above, each stage of hatching and growth is optimally realized.

(Water exchange mechanism)
Fig. 7 is a block diagram of the hatching and rearing apparatus in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 7, the water flow control unit 6 is also preferably equipped with a water exchange mechanism 61. The water exchange mechanism 61 replaces the rearing water 20 inside the storage container 2. The storage container 2 is equipped with a water supply unit and a drainage unit, and the water exchange mechanism 61 replaces the rearing water 20 inside the storage container 2 by controlling the water supply unit and the drainage unit.

That is, by controlling the water supply to the storage container 2 and the water drainage from the storage container 2, the water exchange mechanism 61 exchanges the growth water 20 inside the storage container 2. For example, the water supply unit and the water drainage unit function in parallel to replace the growth water 20 inside the storage container 2. The water exchange mechanism 61 can change the water exchange span and the amount of time for water exchange by controlling the speed of each of the water supply and drainage.

This allows the water exchange mechanism 61 to control the water exchange rate per day (the percentage of the growth water 20 contained in the storage container 2 that is replaced). With this control, for example, it is possible to control the amount of growth water 20 in the storage container 2 to be replaced once per day.

The water exchange mechanism 61 can not only control the amount and ratio of the growing water 20 to be replaced, but can also change the speed of replacement. Alternatively, the water exchange mechanism 61 can switch or change the time periods when the water is replaced and when it is not replaced.

This ability to finely control water exchange leads to proper hatching and post-hatching development of the fertilized eggs 100 inside the storage container 2. In addition, when the water exchange mechanism 61 exchanges the development water 20 inside the storage container 2, a water current is generated in the development water 20. At this time, the degree of the water current (size, speed, volume, etc.) can be indirectly controlled by the speed and volume of the water exchange.

In this way, the water exchange mechanism 61 can replace the cultivation water 20 inside the storage container 2 while also generating a water current and controlling the water current level. In combination with the temperature control and light irradiation control described above, this allows optimal hatching of the fertilized eggs 100 and cultivation up to fry.

(Aeration mechanism)
In Fig. 7, the water flow control unit 6 further includes an aeration mechanism 62. The aeration mechanism imparts air bubbles to the cultivation water 20. Supplying air bubbles creates a water current in the cultivation water 20. The air bubbles also create eddies, which generate convection currents and create flow and movement in the cultivation water 20. Creating flow and movement in the cultivation water 20 has positive benefits for the development of hatched larvae and fry, as it encourages appropriate exercise and stirs up food.

When aeration by the aeration mechanism 62 and water exchange by the water exchange mechanism 61 occur simultaneously, the flow and movement of the growth water 20 is appropriately generated and the exchange is also effective. This is because the water flow of the growth water 20 caused by the water exchange and the water flow caused by the aeration are combined to generate a more appropriate flow and movement of the growth water 20. This is also because the air bubbles supplied by the aeration spread widely inside the storage container 2.

Aeration also helps maintain a constant amount of dissolved oxygen in the cultivation water 20. Maintaining the amount of dissolved oxygen allows the hatched larvae to grow properly.

The aeration mechanism 62 can control the dissolved oxygen, freshness, water flow, etc. of the growth water 20. As a result, the hatching of the fertilized eggs 100 and the subsequent growth can be appropriately controlled.

(Feeding section)
6 and 7, the container 2 further includes a feeding unit 7 that supplies food to the inside of the container 2. The feeding unit 7 supplies the hatched larvae and fry with the type and amount of food appropriate for their growth stage. This supply allows the hatched larvae and fry to be given the food they need, allowing them to grow into fry in an appropriate and optimal period of time.

In particular, after the fertilized eggs 100 hatch, there are different growth stages from larvae to fry. Each of these different growth stages has an appropriate type and amount of food, as well as an appropriate supply interval and supply time. The feeding unit 7 can reliably achieve the growth of the larvae and fry after hatching by changing the type and amount of food, as well as the supply interval and supply time.

Furthermore, the feeding unit 7, in combination with the temperature control unit 4, light irradiation control unit 5, and water flow control unit 6, can appropriately manage the hatching and rearing of the fertilized eggs 100 inside the storage container 2. By combining the control of these multiple elements, it is possible to achieve the hatching and rearing of fertilized eggs 100 of coastal fish, which are difficult to hatch and rear. Furthermore, by optimizing these combinations, it is possible to achieve rearing in a shorter period of time and in more efficient conditions while minimizing the biological burden on the seedlings.

As described above, the inshore fish fertilized egg hatching and rearing device 1 in embodiment 1 can reliably and efficiently hatch and rear fertilized eggs 100 to fry.

(Embodiment 2)

Next, the second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the control by the temperature control unit 3, the light irradiation control unit 5, the water flow control unit 6, and the feeding unit 7 was described. In raising the fish from the hatching of the fertilized eggs to the fry, it is preferable that each of these is controlled according to the growth stage of the raising. It is appropriate that each of these controls is controlled by the overall control unit 9 as shown in FIG. 8.

Figure 8 is a block diagram of an incubation and rearing device in embodiment 2 of the present invention.

In FIG. 8, an overall control unit 9 is provided. The overall control unit 9 controls at least one of the temperature control unit 3, the light irradiation control unit 5, the water flow control unit 6 (the water exchange mechanism 61 and the aeration mechanism 62 inside it), and the feeding unit 7. Of course, it may also control all of them.

The overall control unit 9 controls the temperature control unit 3 and other components in accordance with each of the seedling growth stages that the hatching and cultivating device 1 handles, from the fertilized egg 100 to the fry. Here, the growth stages are defined as shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the growth stages in the second embodiment of the present invention. The growth stages are defined by dividing the degree of growth of the seedlings, from the fertilized egg 100 to the fry, into stages.

As shown in FIG. 9, the growth stages are defined into four stages (periods): (1) hatching period, (2) first predation period, (3) second predation period, and (4) third predation period. Each of these four growth stages may correspond to a change in the method of nutritional infusion, or to a time period, or to a degree of growth (body length, weight, etc.), and may be determined according to the fish species, the purpose of rearing with the hatching and rearing device 1, etc.

In addition, although the growth stages are defined here as four periods, numbers of growth stages other than four may be defined. Furthermore, the number of days corresponding to each of the four growth stages may be determined appropriately depending on the fish species, the purpose of cultivation, etc.

In the example of Figure 9, four growth stages are defined in the development of coastal fish from fertilized eggs 100 to fry as described above, but other stages may be used, and the method of defining each growth stage and the duration may be determined as appropriate.

Here, (1) the hatching period is the period after hatching from the fertilized egg 100 during which the hatched larvae and fry use the egg yolk in their own bodies as a source of nutrition. In other words, it is the period before they start preying on food. (2) The first predation period is the period during which the seedlings are able to prey on the first type of food. The first type of food is very small food, and is of a size and type that the larvae and fry can first prey on. This type of food is defined as the first type of food. The first predation period is the period during which the seedlings prey on this first type of food.

(3) The second feeding period comes after the first feeding period and is the period during which the second type of food can be eaten. The second type of food is more nutritious than the first type of food, and its size can increase along with the increase in nutritional value. It is also the type of food that is preferred by the larvae and fry that have reached the growth stage of the second feeding period. During this second feeding period, the growth of each of the larvae and fry gradually progresses.

The third feeding period (4) is the growth stage after the second feeding period. It is the period during which the third type of food can be consumed. The third type of food is often more nutritious and larger than the second type of food. It is also the stage until the end of the cultivation of fry, which is the cultivation objective of the hatching and cultivating device 1. In other words, when the third feeding period ends, the second stage in the hatching and cultivating device 1 shown in Figure 1 ends, and the grown fry can be handed over to the next third stage. During the third feeding period, the larvae prefer to consume the highly nutritious third type of food and grow steadily into fry. At this stage, they have grown sufficiently to be ready for the third stage.

In this way, the growth stages can be defined as the hatching period, the first predation period, the second predation period, and the third predation period. Of course, a fourth predation period can be added, and each transition can be defined not only by the type of food but also by the number of days or the degree of growth.

The overall control unit 9 controls the temperature control unit 3, light irradiation control unit 5, water flow control unit 6, and feeding unit 7 in accordance with each of the growth stages: the hatching period, the first predation period, the second predation period, and the third predation period. These controls enable optimal growth for each growth stage.

(Control at each growth stage)
The overall control unit 9 controls the temperature control unit 3 and the like for each growth stage, as shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing control corresponding to the growth stages in the second embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 10, as described above, the growth stages are divided into the hatching period, the first predation period, the second predation period, and the third predation period.

The overall control unit 9 performs the following controls at each growth stage:

(1) Hatching period Temperature of the rearing water by the temperature control unit 3: Controlled to a temperature range in which growth is possible Control by the light irradiation control unit 5: Controlled to an appropriate state as appropriate Control by the water exchange mechanism 61 in the running water control unit 6: Controlled to a water exchange rate per day to essentially "0" Control by the aeration mechanism 62 in the running water control unit 6: Controlled to perform aeration (addition of air bubbles) at a weak level Feeding by the feeding unit 7: None (as the eggs have hatched from the fertilized eggs 100 and are using the egg yolk inside their bodies as a source of nutrition)

As described above, the overall control unit 9 controls the temperature control unit 3 and other components during the hatching period. This control allows the seedlings in the hatching period to be properly grown and to move on to the next growth stage appropriately.

(2) First feeding period Temperature of the culture water by the temperature control unit 3: Controlled to a temperature range allowing growth Control by the light irradiation control unit 5: Controlled to an appropriate state as needed Control by the water exchange mechanism 61 in the running water control unit 6: Controlled to a water exchange rate of "0.1 to 0.5" per day Control by the aeration mechanism 62 in the running water control unit 6: Controlled to perform aeration (addition of air bubbles) at a weak level Feeding by the feeding unit 7: First type of food (e.g. rotifers, etc.)

As described above, the overall control unit 9 controls the temperature control unit 3 and the like during the first feeding period. This control allows the larvae and juveniles to grow properly after they have finished ingesting nutrients from the egg yolk, and allows them to move on to the next growth stage appropriately. Control during this first feeding period also makes it possible to suppress initial attrition, etc.

(3) Second feeding period Temperature of the culture water by the temperature control unit 3: Controlled to a temperature range allowing growth Control by the light irradiation control unit 5: Controlled to an appropriate state as appropriate Control by the water exchange mechanism 61 in the running water control unit 6: Controlled to a water exchange rate of "0.5 to 2.0" per day Control by the aeration mechanism 62 in the running water control unit 6: Controlled to carry out aeration (addition of air bubbles) at a weak to medium level Feeding by the feeding unit 7: Second type of food (for example, Artemia, etc.)

As described above, the overall control unit 9 controls the temperature control unit 3 and the like during the second feeding period. This control allows the larvae and fry to grow properly and progress appropriately to the next growth stage.

(4) Third feeding period Temperature of the rearing water by the temperature control unit 3: Control to a temperature range wider than the growth temperature range Control by the light irradiation control unit 5: Control to an appropriate state as appropriate Control by the water exchange mechanism 61 in the running water control unit 6: Control to a water exchange rate of "2 or more" per day Control by the aeration mechanism 62 in the running water control unit 6: Control to perform aeration (addition of air bubbles) at a strong level Feeding by the feeding unit 7: Third type of food (as an example, a compound feed)

As described above, the overall control unit 9 controls the temperature control unit 3 and the like during the second feeding period. This control allows the fish to be sufficiently cultivated to a level where they can be handed over to the third stage of aquaculture facilities. By cultivating the fish to a level where they are fry, the fry can be transferred to aquaculture in full-scale aquaculture facilities in the third stage after the third feeding period ends.

In this way, the hatching and cultivating device 1 can divide the seedlings, from fertilized eggs 100 to fry, into growth stages and appropriately control the cultivating conditions. This control allows the seedlings to be cultivated to fry in an efficient short period of time (a short period that is logical and does not damage the health of the seedlings). As a result, the third stage of cultivating the fish to adulthood can be carried out efficiently. In other words, all stages of aquaculture, from the generation of fertilized eggs, the cultivation of fertilized eggs to fry, and the cultivation of fry to adult fish, as shown in Figure 1, can be carried out reliably and efficiently.

In the above description, the incubation period, first predation period, and second predation period are controlled to a growth-enabling temperature band, but depending on the fish species, the external environment of the hatching and cultivating device 1, the season, and other circumstances, control may be performed to different temperature bands depending on the growth stage, such as a temperature band slightly wider than the growth-enabling temperature band, a temperature band narrower than the growth-enabling temperature band, a temperature band with a different upper or lower limit temperature of the growth-enabling temperature band, or a growth promotion temperature band as described below. In other words, the same thing may be done in the control as the actual temperatures of the growth-enabling temperature band and the growth promotion temperature band are actually different for each growth stage.

As a result, it will be possible to reliably and efficiently maintain and increase the resources of coastal fish, whose fishery resources are currently declining.

(Temperature Control)
In Fig. 10, the temperature control by the temperature control unit 3 during the hatching period, the first predation period, and the second predation period has been described as a growth-enabling temperature range. Here, the temperature control unit 3 may control the temperature to a growth-promoting temperature range during at least one of the hatching period, the first predation period, and the second predation period. This temperature range is narrower than the growth-enabling temperature range and further promotes growth.

By having the temperature control unit 3 set the temperature range to the growth promotion range during at least one of these periods, there is an advantage in that the seedling growth period is accelerated. In this way, it is also preferable to control the temperature in an even finer range.

(Northern sea fish)
The hatching and cultivating device 1 described in the first and second embodiments hatches and cultivates fertilized eggs of coastal fish into fry. Examples of coastal fish include the following types: whiting (such as Japanese whiting), horse mackerel, sardines, squid (such as bigfin reef squid), wrasse (such as Japanese amberjack), grouper (such as red spotted grouper), rockfish, conger eel, goby, filefish, stonefish, sole, and at least one of crabs.

These are just examples and do not exclude the inclusion of other types of coastal fish.

By targeting these types of coastal fish, it will be possible to reliably farm and raise coastal fish that are at risk of decline and depletion as fishery resources, thereby increasing their numbers and meeting demand.

The incubating and cultivating device 1 for fertilized eggs of coastal fish described in the first and second embodiments is an example for illustrating the gist of the present invention, and includes modifications and alterations that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Hatching and rearing device 2 Storage container 3 Temperature control unit 4 Temperature setting unit 5 Light irradiation control unit 6 Water flow control unit 61 Water exchange mechanism 62 Aeration mechanism 7 Feeding unit 9 Overall control unit

Claims (8)

A container capable of storing fertilized eggs and water for cultivating coastal fish;
A temperature control unit that controls the temperature of the growing water;
A temperature setting unit that switches between a plurality of temperature ranges for the temperature of the growing water;
a light irradiation control unit that controls irradiation of the container with light;
A water flow control unit that controls the flow of the growing water contained in the container;
A feeding unit that supplies food to the inside of the storage container and stores the food,
The temperature range is
a hatchable temperature range in which the fertilized eggs can hatch;
a growth temperature range in which the seedlings hatched from the fertilized eggs can grow;
A growth promotion temperature range, which is a temperature range in which the seedlings grow in a shorter period of time;
At least three of the following are included:
The hatching temperature range is wider than the growth temperature range,
The growth-enabling temperature range is wider than the growth-promoting temperature range,
the temperature setting unit selects one of the hatching temperature range, the growth temperature range, and the growth promotion temperature range for the temperature control of the growth water, and outputs the selection result to the temperature control unit;
The temperature control unit controls the temperature of the growing water based on the selection result,
Further comprising an overall control unit for controlling at least one operation of the temperature control unit, the light irradiation control unit, the water flow control unit, and the feeding unit;
The overall control unit controls the operation of at least one of the temperature control unit, the light irradiation control unit, the water flow control unit, and the feeding unit in response to each of the growth stages on the time axis of the fertilized egg, in response to the difference in the growth stage,
The growth stage includes:
Incubation period,
First feeding period,
Second predation period,
A device for incubating and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish, comprising at least four periods: The incubator for hatching and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish according to claim 1, wherein the water flow control unit has a water exchange mechanism that exchanges the cultivation water inside the container by supplying and discharging water. The incubator for hatching and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish according to claim 2, wherein the water flow control unit further has an aeration mechanism for adding air bubbles to the cultivating water. The overall control unit includes:
(1) During the hatching period,
The temperature of the growth water by the temperature control unit is set to the growth-enabling temperature range,
In the water flow control unit , the water exchange rate per day in the water exchange mechanism is substantially set to "0" and the air bubbles are weakly added in the aeration mechanism.
Controlled as follows:
(2) In the first feeding period,
The temperature of the growth water by the temperature control unit is set to the growth-enabling temperature range,
In the water flow control unit , the water exchange rate per day in the water exchange mechanism is set to "0.1 to 0.5" and the air bubbles are weakly added in the aeration mechanism;
The first type of food is fed from the feeding unit.
Controlled as follows:
(3) In the second predation period,
The temperature of the growth water by the temperature control unit is set to the growth-enabling temperature range,
In the water flow control unit , the water exchange rate per day in the water exchange mechanism is set to "0.5 to 2.0" and the air bubble application in the aeration mechanism is set to weak to medium,
The second type of food is fed from the feeding unit.
Controlled as follows:
(4) In the third feeding period,
The temperature of the growth water by the temperature control unit is set to a temperature range wider than the growth-enabling temperature range,
In the water flow control unit , the water exchange rate per day in the water exchange mechanism is set to "2 or more" and the air bubble application in the aeration mechanism is set to strong,
The third type of food is fed from the feeding unit.
Controlled as follows:
4. The apparatus for hatching and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish according to claim 3, wherein the first type of bait includes rotifers, the second type of bait includes Artemia, and the third type of bait includes a compound feed. The incubator for hatching and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish according to claim 4, wherein the temperature control unit changes the temperature of the cultivating water to the growth-enabling temperature range and controls the temperature to the growth-promoting temperature range during at least one of the hatching period, the first predation period, and the second predation period. The incubating and cultivating device for fertilized eggs of coastal fish according to claim 1, which performs incubation and cultivating from the fertilized eggs to fry. Fertilized eggs of coastal fish are placed in the container,
2. The device for hatching and cultivating fertilized eggs of coastal fish as described in claim 1, wherein the fry raised in the container can be transferred to an external aquaculture device where the fry are cultivated from fry to adult fish. The near-shore fish eggs hatching and cultivating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the near-shore fish include at least one of the following species: whiting (such as Japanese whiting), horse mackerel, sardines, squid (such as bigfin reef squid), wrasse (such as Japanese amberjack), grouper (such as red spotted grouper), rockfish, conger eel, goby, filefish, scorpionfish, sole, and crab.