Dusky Grouper Epinephelus marginatus Growth and Survival When Exposed to Different Photoperiods

Photoperiod is considered an environmental factor that influences reproduction and the growth processes of fish throughout the year. In the present study, we subjected dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus to different photoperiods in order to evaluate growth and survival. Juvenile dusky grouper were randomly distributed in twelve 100 L tanks containing four fish per aquarium. The fish were exposed to continuous light, normal photoperiod or continuous darkness for 50 days. Fish were fed 3% of their total biomass, twice a day, and the diet consisted of ground commercial dry pellets (42% crude protein, 12% humidity, 9% ether extract, 15% mineral matter, 4% crude fiber, 3.5% calcium and 3% vitamin C, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions). There was no mortality during the experiment. After 50 days, the best performance was found for exposure to continuous light (24 h artificial light). The final weight of the fish reared under continuous light was significantly higher than that of the fish exposed to continuous darkness. The specific growth rate of the fish exposed to continuous light was significantly higher than that of the fish exposed to the natural photoperiod and to continuous darkness. Modifications to the photoperiod can be a key factor in increasing the efficacy of current production and the improvement of current aquaculture protocols.

Automated summary

In this study, different photoperiods were tested on dusky grouper to evaluate growth and survival. The fish exposed to continuous light showed the best performance with significantly higher weight and specific growth rate compared to those exposed to continuous darkness. Modifying the photoperiod could be a key factor in improving aquaculture protocols and increasing production efficiency.