Temperature physiology in grouper (Epinephelinae: Serranidae) aquaculture: A brief review

• Main Authors: Simon Kumar Das, Tou Wee Xiang, Noorashikin Md. Noor, Moumita De, Sabuj Kanti Mazumder, M.P. Goutham-Bharathi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-07-01
• Series: Aquaculture Reports
• Subjects: Captivity; Grouper; Hybrid; Physiology; Sustainable aquaculture
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352513421000983

Grouper aquaculture has emerged as a promising food production sector on the basis of the belief that it can lessen the pressure on overfished populations, particularly in the Asia–Pacific. This review provides an outline of the temperature physiology of aquacultured groupers in tropical and sub-tropical regions as described in 34 research articles published between 1979 and 2018. A total of 24 grouper species (i.e., 23 Epinephelus spp. and 1 Cromileptes sp.) and 4 hybrids (Epinephelus spp.) were reported to be aquacultured for temperature physiology studies; among these species, five are considered threatened (three are vulnerable species, one is critically endangered, and one is endangered). More than half of the species (n = 13, 54 %) were categorized as “Least Concern,” while five species were considered “Data Deficient.” The overall test temperatures applied across the different life stages of the aquacultured groupers ranged from 13 °C to 35 °C, with a mean optimum rearing temperature of 26.32 °C ± 0.62 °C. The majority of the experimental studies demonstrated that a rearing temperature of 28 °C could be optimal for grouper hatcheries in the Asia–Pacific. Although comparative experimental studies on the mean daily growth of groupers showed higher increments in recirculating hatchery tanks compared with those in floating net cages in the tropics, temperature alone may not completely govern the grouper physiology. In-depth research is imperative for precise predictions of the future prospects of sustainable grouper aquaculture, especially in the tropics.