A diverse assortment of organisms is cultured under specific pathogen‐free (SPF) conditions. These include livestock and poultry, certain laboratory animals, and a few aquatic species. The procedures for cultivating these organisms are specialized according to the biology of the pathogen and the requirements of the animal cultured. This article contains an overview of these culture methods with the goal of identifying principles, techniques, and background information of potential use in the establishment of SPF aquaculture centers.