Possibility of culturing Pacific goliath grouper Epinephelus quinquefasciatus in water with different salinities

Abstract

Objective. To assess the survival and growth of juvenile Pacific goliath grouper (Epinephelus quinquefasciatus) in captivity at low salinities. Materials and methods. We randomly selected twelve juvenile goliath groupers with an average standard length of 44.2 ± 6.1 cm and 1492 ± 476 g in body weight, and raised them for three months in the laboratory in waters of 32-26, 20, 10 and 5 parts per thousand of salinity. Results. All juvenile Pacific goliath groupers tolerated the initial gradual transfer from full strength seawater to salinities of 32-26, 20, 10, and 5 parts per thousand, which was done over a period of four days. All of them survived and grew in body weight and length during the course of the three-month experiment, in all the treatments of high and low salinity water. The body condition factor (K) for each fish was between 1.5 and 2.4. Conclusions. This is a first time trial that documents a randomized, controlled experiment demonstrating the ability of Pacific juvenile goliath grouper to gradually transfer from full strength seawater to water of lower salinity, and survive and grow well in these brackish waters.

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“…However, the values of CF were significantly high in low salinities (10 -20 psu), suggesting that fish cultured in low salinities were healthier than those cultured in high salinities (25 -30 psu). These findings are in agreement with the study of Garcia and Chapman (2015), who recorded the CF value of the goliath grouper E. quinquefasciatus in the range of 1.6-2.4 when cultured in 10 psu compared with the CF value of 1.5 -1.6 in 20 psu.…”

Transitioning to a Pelleted Diet and Compensatory Growth of Pacific Goliath GrouperEpinephelus quinquefasciatusin Captivity

“…These studies have indicated that goliath grouper may offer great potential as a marine species for aquaculture. Also it is proposed that goliath grouper may also be a suitable species for cultivation in brackish and even fresh waters Chapman et al 2014;García and Chapman 2015). These studies also concluded that seed production and lack of appropriate diets and feeding regimes during the grow-out phase were the main constraints to the development of cultivation of the species.…”

“…Although genetically different and considered sister species, the populations on both coasts are outwardly identical and so far appear to exhibit the same suite of lifehistory characteristics. Equally, the Caribbean and Pacific populations have shown great adaptability to captivity (Torossi 1982;Cervigón 1983;Botero and Ospina 2003;García 2013;García et al 2013;Chapman et al 2014;García and Chapman 2015). These studies have indicated that goliath grouper may offer great potential as a marine species for aquaculture.…”