Studies on the Use of Copepods in the Semi‐Intensive Seed Production of Grouper Epinephelus Coioides

Aquaculture of groupers is carried out in tropical and subtropical areas throughout the world, but most production is from Asia, with three countries responsible for an estimated 92% of global production: China (65% of total production), Taiwan Province of China (17%) and Indonesia (11%). We calculate that there are at least 47 grouper species plus 15 grouper hybrids that have been trialled or are currently aquacultured. While grouper aquaculture has undoubtedly provided positive social and economic benefits to coastal communities in Asia, practices associated with grouper aquaculture have also led to widespread concerns regarding its environmental impacts. This paper reviews environmental, economic and social impacts of grouper aquaculture within a sustainability science framework. An update, building on early technical reviews of grouper aquaculture, was used to identify the main environmental, economic and social impacts. The main environmental impacts identified were as follows: seedstock sources, particularly the use of wild‐caught postlarval or juvenile fish as seedstock; the use of ‘trash’ fish as the major feed source; and water quality and substrate impacts of sea cage aquaculture. Significant economic and social impacts arising from grouper aquaculture include employment and income generation, but the economic impacts of disease outbreaks are significant, reducing fish survival to harvest size to around 50–70%. Current approaches to ameliorate negative impacts include the following: development and implementation of better management practices (BMPs) at national level, and the development of a global ecolabel certification scheme by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. Both these approaches have significant constraints, particularly when applied to small‐scale farmers who produce the bulk of farmed grouper. We conclude that there is a need for improved higher level coordination between the major producer countries to address identified sustainability constraints to grouper aquaculture.

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“…Grouper larvae fed copepods generally demonstrate faster growth and higher survival rates (Toledo et al . ; Su et al . ).…”

Section: Country Status and Identification Of Sustainability Issuesmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Copepods generally have relatively high levels of the essential fatty acid DHA and have high DHA:EPA ratios (Toledo et al . , ; Rayner et al . ).…”

Section: Assessment Of the Sustainability Of Grouper Aquaculturementioning

confidence: 99%

A review of grouper (Family Serranidae: Subfamily Epinephelinae) aquaculture from a sustainability science perspective

Rimmer

Glamuzina

2017

Reviews in Aquaculture

153

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“…When nitrogen and oxygen are non‐limiting, larger diatoms are normally favoured, leading to higher copepod productions (Støttrup 2003). Significant quantities of marine fish juveniles produced based on extensive copepod production have been described for grouper in Philipines (Toledo et al 1999; Toledo et al 2005) and Taiwan (Liao, Su & Chang 2001; Su, Cheng, Chen & Su 2005), red snapper in the United States (Ogle et al 2005), flounder in France, cod in Norway and turbot in Norway and Denmark (Støttrup 2003). However, copepods produced extensively in ponds may cause mass mortalities in grouper, through transmission of viruses (VNN) and parasites ( Amyloodinium sp.…”

Section: Copepods and Other Natural Zooplanktonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In situations where copepods are available in limited amounts, their use as a fraction of the daily ration for marine ¢sh larvae, in particular during the ¢rst days of feeding, has also proven to improve larval growth and survival (Conceic°a ì o, van der Meeren,Verreth, Evjen, Houlihan & Fyhn 1997;Toledo, Golez, Doi & Ohno 1999). This seems particularly interesting for species requiring very small prey at ¢rst feeding, such as grouper (Toledo et al 1999;Toledo, Golez & Ohno 2005) and red snapper (Ogle, Lemus, Nicholson, Barnes & Lotz 2005). Copepod nauplii blooms may be induced in the rearing tanks or in separate tanks/ ponds.…”

Section: Main Utilizations Of Copepodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Live feeds for early stages of fish rearing

Conceição

Yúfera

Makridis

et al. 2010

Aquaculture Research

370

282

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Despite the recent progress in the production of inert diets for fish larvae, feeding of most species of interest for aquaculture still relies on live feeds during the early life stages. Independently of their nutritional value, live feeds are easily detected and captured, due to their swimming movements in the water column, and highly digestible, given their lower nutrient concentration (water content>80%). The present paper reviews the main types of live feeds used in aquaculture, their advantages and pitfalls, with a special emphasis on their nutritional value and the extent to which this can be manipulated. The most commonly used live feeds in aquaculture are rotifers (Brachionus sp.) and brine shrimp (Artemia sp.), due to the existence of standardized cost‐effective protocols for their mass production. However, both rotifers and Artemia have nutritional deficiencies for marine species, particularly in essential n‐3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA, e.g., docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid). Enrichment of these live feeds with HUFA‐rich lipid emulsions may lead to an excess dietary lipid and sub‐optimal dietary protein content for fish larvae. In addition, rotifers and Artemia are likely to have sub‐optimal dietary levels of some amino acids, vitamins and minerals, at least for some species. Several species of microalgae are also used in larviculture. These are used as feed for other live feeds, but mostly in the ‘green water’ technique in fish larval rearing, with putative beneficial effects on feeding behaviour, digestive function, nutritional value, water quality and microflora. Copepods and other natural zooplankton organisms have also been used as live feeds, normally with considerably better results in terms of larval survival rates, growth and quality, when compared with rotifers and Artemia. Nonetheless, technical difficulties in mass‐producing these organisms are still a constraint to their routine use. Improvements in inert microdiets will likely lead to a progressive substitution of live feeds. However, complete substitution is probably years away for most species, at least for the first days of feeding.

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“…Examples of extensive copepod cultures are listed in Table 1. Significant quantities of marine fish juveniles produced based on extensive copepod production have been described for grouper in Philipines (Toledo et al 1999(Toledo et al , 2005 and Taiwan (Liao et al 2001;Su et al 2005), red snapper in the United States (Ogle et al 2005), flounder in France, cod in Norway and turbot in Norway and Denmark (Støttrup 2003). Extensive production in extensive systems is normally based on microalgae blooms induced by an agricultural fertilizer (Conceição et al 2009).…”

Section: Copepod Culture Systemsmentioning

confidence: 98%

A review of the use of copepods in marine fish larviculture

Ajiboye

Yakubu

Adams

et al. 2010

Rev Fish Biol Fisheries

108

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In spite of the growing interest and success obtained using cultured-copepods, their use in marine aquaculture remains sporadic. Besides, mass culture of several marine copepods has been well established by several authors. However, the upscale of copepod cultures to commercial levels is still a challenge. The practice of using wild copepods from natural ponds which thus increases the risk of parasitic infections of most species has limited their application in aquaculture. The present paper thus emphasizes on recent research efforts focused on the use of chemical treatments and freeze-thawing methods to eradicate procercoids from copepods. Research efforts focused on copepod culture systems which subsequently improved and refined their culture in marine fish larviculture are also well discussed. Advances in the use of copepod eggs as potential source of nauplii for marine fish larvae with special emphasis on the viability, storage conditions and biochemical compositions of the copepod eggs are underscored. Additionally, recent advances in the biochemical compositions (protein, amino acids, pigments, and vitamins) of copepods, which has received relatively little attention compared to researches on the lipid and fatty acid compositions are well emphasized. Specific recommended areas for further research are also proffered.

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Studies on the Use of Copepods in the Semi‐Intensive Seed Production of Grouper Epinephelus Coioides

Cited by 13 publications

References 29 publications

A review of grouper (Family Serranidae: Subfamily Epinephelinae) aquaculture from a sustainability science perspective

A review of grouper (Family Serranidae: Subfamily Epinephelinae) aquaculture from a sustainability science perspective

Live feeds for early stages of fish rearing

A review of the use of copepods in marine fish larviculture

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