Australians succeed in breeding giant groper

摘要

If tropical Australia has an iconic fish it would have to be the giant Queensland groper {Epinephelus lanceolatus). It is the aquatic emblem of the state. A member of the grouper family, this fish can grow to over 2.5m and weigh up to 300 kg. The fishis on the threatened species list, but its fast growth rate and market potential have made it a target for Queensland Government researchers at the Northern Fishery Centre (NFC) based in Cairns. They have had previous success with flowery cod (Epinephelusfuscogutattus) and estuary or goldspotted cod {Epinephelus coioides) but their main target was the giant groper. They've been working on closing the loop for three years, and recently reared juvenile-sized fish from eggs spawned in captivity - an Australian first.