Concern about the overexploitation of wild aquatic resources, the slow recovery of the groundfish fisheries and the need to encourage the diversification of the mariculture industry of the province of Quebec (Canada) all provided strong incentive to explore the potential of a wide selection of marine and anadromous fish species for cold-water mariculture. Starting from a list of over 45 indigenous fish species of potential commercial interest, a biotechnical review was initiated. Technical sheets for each species were produced and aquaculture-based selection criteria covering three aquaculture approaches of development (complete life cycle, on-growing and stock enhancement) were examined. Species were ranked according to their degree of suitability for the given biological parameters. The final classification analysis within the complete life cycle production strategy positioned the Atlantic wolffish as the top candidate species (91%) followed by the spotted wolffish and Arctic charr (87%). Growth rate, optimal growth temperature, duration of the weaning period, minimal lethal temperature, larval size and feed requirements were the determining criteria. The on-growing scenario final results ranked Arctic charr first (84%) followed by Atlantic cod (79%) and Atlantic halibut (74%) mostly owing to their growth rate at low temperature and optimal growth temperature criteria. Stock enhancement programmes should concentrate their efforts on the striped bass (56%), the haddock (54%) and the Atlantic sturgeon (34%) based on their growth rate, fishery status, landing price and the availability of impact studies.

Phenotypic plasticity has been demonstrated in fishes but rarely addressed with respect to skeletogenesis. The influence of water velocity on the sequence of chondrification and ossification is studied for the median fins of Arctic charr,Salvelinus alpinus, during a period of 90 days post hatching. Time of appearance, relative position within sequences, and direction of development among serially repeated elements are compared between two velocity treatments. Water velocity has induced changes in the timing of events and to a lesser extent on the relative sequence events in the locomotor system. Ossification is more responsive to water velocity than chondrification, and early-forming elements are less responding than late-forming elements. Directions of development are fairly conservative. It is suggested that a faster sustained swimming (behavioural adaptation to a higher water velocity) could induce differential mechanical stresses on developing skeletal elements involved in locomotion and therefore induce changes primarily in the timing of the ossification.