FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE,MOA,TAIWAN

Groupers, Epinephelus spp., are high-value mariculture finfish in Taiwan. In the past two decades, artificial propagation techniques have been established for at least four Epinephelus species. However, massive seed production still encounters many difficulties, particularly with the problem of cannibalism. Many environmental factors are considered to be influencing the extent and rate of cannibalism. However, studies for the impact of these factors on grouper cannibalism are rare. This study used orange-spotted grouper, E. coioides, fry reared in aquariums to investigate the effects of feeding time, feeding frequency and shelter on cannibalism rate. The results indicated that only feeding frequency, had significant changes on the cannibalism rate; higher feeding frequencies (3-4 times daily) showed a significantly decreased cannibalism rate than lower feeding frequencies (1-2 times daily).
Key words: Cannibalism, Environmental factors, Epinephelus coioides, Feeding strategy, Larviculture, Shelter.