Fish larvae quality descriptors: an appraisal of methods for red porgy Pagrus pagrus and grouper Epinephelus marginatus produced under different rearing conditions

Quality control in fish hatcheries is of paramount importance to achieve the desired characteristics of larvae and fry, either for the market or release to the wild. Quality programmes are applied in a day to day basis having direct implications for production management and final costs of product. Most common criteria used for larval quality assessment are morphometrics, condition factor, histometrical indices, lipid analysis, nucleic acid ratios, enzyme activity and stress tests