Feasibility on cage culture of the orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides)

The present study was carried out to evaluate the possibility of rearing the orange-spotted grouper (E. coioides) juvenile to marketable size in buoyant cages in Khuzestan province coast waters. Juvenile fishes for the study prepared from Bandar-e-Imam Marine Fish Station and reared them in 5-ton fiber glass tank for one year period using common pellet feed and trash fish to reach 50 g mean weight. Young fishes were stocked in 6 rectangular cages (3×3×3 m) to assess their growth performance with two test feeds i.e. pellet feed and trash fish (3 cages for each treatment) with the density of 30 fish /m^3 (810 fish/cage) for 143 days rearing period (started on July). Better growth with significant difference (p0.05). Results also showed that the FCR for the trash fish was acceptable, and hence it is recommended to consider the trash fish price and its labour cost befor using it as the main diet in cage culture activity