AQUACULTURE OF GROUPER

Found mostly on coral reefs, sometimes in estuaries, or rocky areas in the sub-tropical/tropical areas. (<100)

Live long lives (>40), slow to grow, gets large

Eats fish, crustaceans, cephalopods from lairs

Unless spawning lives alone on a stretch of reef.

Are sequential hermaphrodites

Prized for its meat.

GROUPER IN GENERAL

Prefers=>Tropical to Sub-tropical climes are preferred

Temperature: 28-30CSalinity: 34.9 psu max

Well aerated waterNot much disturbance

WATER SWEET WATER

Spawn between May and August in a mass school after a migration

Larvae hatch within a few hours (plankton)Move in ward to shallower more sheltered waters Grows into a fingerling ( few cm- a finger length)

As they grow they go into deeper watersBecome a juvenile (female or immature male)

Eventually turns into a male

LIFE CYCLE

Most developed in Asia. (Taiwan, China, Indonesia)

Grouper grows very fast in higher temps.FCR=1.67:1 (Dried fish formula)

6.00:1 (Trash Fish)Hand fed (pan/two-four scoops scoops)

Robust in over crowded cages

Cost $1.27 per kg (fish formula)$0.37 per kg (Trash Fish)

GROUPER FARMING

Aquaculture of grouper is not well organized

Still relies on seed caught out in ocean

Most of wild seed dies before and during farming 60,000t (fry, fingerling, juveniles)= 23,000t food

Contributes to species crash

TROUBLE SHOOTING(DISADVANTAGES)

Grouper hatcheries have recently been made to help meet demand.

Can now produce over 100-200,000 hatched seed per year.

Two-thirds of Taiwan production of grouper is from hatcheries

Survival rate of fry is still low 2-10%

Twenty thousand broodstock were required for the production of 20 million fingerling

ADVANCEMENTS

Eggs come from low density brood ponds (Water is pumped from the coast)Aerated with paddle wheelsBrood stock is fed on trash fish.One female to two males. (replaced yearly)Spawning last days to monthsEggs collected by a current and skimming net. (eggs= $166 per kg)24h after spawning eggs hatch

GETTING KINKY

Eggs held in Sea water that is being constantly aerated with out to much water disruption

Has mechanical, biological, and UV sterilizers attached.Is temperature regulated. (28-30C)

Larvae open mouths on day three then fed supply of phytoplankton, oyster eggs, and small trochophore larvae till day forty then they eat artemias.

Kept at three larvae per liter. Kept for forty days till Fingerlings (1 Fingerling = $1.10)

JUST KEEP FLOATING(HATCHERY)

WONDER WERE NEXT(NURSERY-GROW OUT)

Raised in circular tanks till 10g. Natural light

Fed fishmeal pellets (high protein)Lasts 30 days

Then to grow out tanksCommercial grouper in Taiwan are 30cm and 600g or 1kg

Takes different species different timesE. lanceolatus= 6 months

E. Malabaricus= 12 monthsE. coioides= 12-15 months

Once this size they go to culture cages

Once big enough the juveniles are placed in nets placed at the ocean end of an estuary or in the open ocean.

Low mortality rate. (80% survive)Usually sold alive

Nets are emptied then cleaned every six months

WON’T LIVE TO BE OLD(BEFORE SUSHI)

Epinephelus coioides= Orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus malabaricus= Malabar grouper

Epinephelus lanceolatus= Giant grouperEpinephelus Tauvina= Greasy grouper

Epinephelus fuscoguttatus= Brown-marbled grouperEpinephelus Akaara= Honkong grouper Epinephelus awoara= Yellow grouper

Epinephelus quoyanus= Longfin grouper Epinephelus trimaculatus= Threespot grouper Cromileptes altivelis= Humpback grouper

Plectropomus leopardus= Leopard coral grouper

TAXONOMY OF THE HARVEST

Orange-spotted grouper= $8–$11 per kg Malabar grouper= $8-$11 per kg

Giant grouper= $15 per kg Greasy grouper= $7-$12 per kg

Brown-marbled grouper= $15–$20 per kg Honkong grouper= $30–$40 per kg

Yellow grouper= $29.90 per kg Longfin grouper= $24.99 per kg

Threespot grouper= $13.89 per kg Humpback grouper= $80–95 per kg

Leopard coral grouper= $30–$40 per kg

PRICE RANGES

JapanChina TaiwanThailandMalaysiaIndonesiaPhilippinesHong Kong

Are one of the most used species in the world. Is a multi-billion dollar business withemployees and all.

WHERE THEY SELL AND WHY

Pierre, Gaillard, et al., Grouper aquaculture: Asian success and Mediterranean trials., 2007. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sim, Phillips, et al., A Practical Guide to Feeds andFeed Management for CulturedGroupers., No. 2005–02, Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish

Aquaculture Network

switchboard.nrdc.org

WORKS CITED