**8. Discussion**

Puye or whitebait culture has considerable aquaculture potential and the production technology and package outlined here already runs successfully (Dantagnan et al., 2007; Mardones et al., 2008). Nonetheless, there are several ways in which the system could be further optimized, the good quality domesticated broodstock is a key stage that would benefit from further work. Reproducers with a higher fecundity and better survival rates, including greather resistance to endo-parasitic infection, would be beneficial. These domestic broodstock could then more reliably support production of eggs and larvae at a lower cost.

Domestication and improvement of management and culture technologies must focus on the reduction in mortality that takes place up to the spawning stages in the broodstock as well as in the incubation and postlarval stages. For broodstock and juveniles produced entirely in captivity, it may not be necessary to use of intensive prophylaxis, diminishing fish manipulation, stress and mortality, that is a frequent procedure in aquaculture.

Development of technologies to increase the densities during the broodstock conditioning stage and to coordinate the spawning under controlled conditions would be useful. It is also necessary to increase the larviculture densities, improve the enrichment of live food and further automate all culture processs, including massive incubation and larval feeding.

While the results to date are very positive, the cost of production is high, bearing in mind that, at least a price relatively similar to that obtained by fresh product on the beach (USD 10) must be obtained. In the financial analyses conducted to date, the costs of training have not been considered, but for full development but for full development culture industry, the early training of staff is absolutely necessary.
