2. 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

3. Prefers=> Tropical to Sub-tropical climes are preferred Temperature: 28-30C Salinity: 34.9 psu max Well aerated water Not much disturbance WATER SWEET WATER

4. 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 waters Become a juvenile (female or immature male) Eventually turns into a male LIFE CYCLE

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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

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

9. 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)

10. 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 tanks Commercial grouper in Taiwan are 30cm and 600g or 1kg Takes different species different times E. lanceolatus= 6 months E. Malabaricus= 12 months E. coioides= 12-15 months Once this size they go to culture cages

11. 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)

12. E pinephelus coioides= Orange-spotted grouper E pinephelus malabaricus= Malabar grouper E pinephelus lanceolatus= Giant grouper E pinephelus Tauvina= Greasy grouper E pinephelus fuscoguttatus= Brown-marbled grouper E pinephelus Akaara= Honkong grouper E pinephelus awoara= Yellow grouper E pinephelus quoyanus= Longfin grouper E pinephelus trimaculatus= Threespot grouper Cromileptes altivelis= Humpback grouper Plectropomus leopardus= Leopard coral grouper TAXONOMY OF THE HARVEST

13. 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

14. Japan China Taiwan Thailand Malaysia Indonesia Philippines Hong Kong Are one of the most used species in the world. Is a multi-billion dollar business with employees and all. WHERE THEY SELL AND WHY

15. 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 and Feed Management for Cultured Groupers., No. 2005–02, Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network switchboard.nrdc.org WORKS CITED