Abstract

White grouper have good potential for aquaculture because of its high market value, excellent taste, as well as rapid growth rates. But poor survival rate of larvae is still a major obstacle in the culture of this species. We have successfully raised white grouper larvae in green water systems. Eggs were obtained from natural spawning of wild broodstock. During the experiment, water temperature and salinity were maintained at 26ºC and 38 ppt. Spawning eggs were collected from the draining end of the spawning tank with a commercial collector system. The viable buoyant eggs were separated from the dead sinking egg. Non-floating eggs were discarded and floating (fertilized) eggs were stocked in fiberglass 400 Lt tanks and eggs stocking density were maintained as 75-100 eggs/lt. After mouth opening ciliates (Euplotes sp) were supplied followed by SS type rotifers, artemia and increasing sizes of metanauplii until the end of the rearing period when dry feed was supplied, which lasted approximately five weeks. Fish had reached 52 grams in 3.5 months, 437 grams in 9,5 months after hatching with feeding regular sea bass and bream feed in tank systems.