Species development

A switch to farming giant river prawns is proving economically astute for a growing number of Bangladesh’s aquaculture operators, but the sector still has challenges to overcome.

The north-eastern states of India have numerous indigenous ornamental fish species that are in high demand among owners of aquaria, but farming these species is yet to fulfil its true potential.

Given the decline of wild stocks and surging consumer demand, the case for farming sablefish has never been stronger. However, challenges – in particular relating to growth rates – have meant that few producers of this prized species have achieved commercial s…

Successfully breeding the European eel in captivity has proved elusive so far, but a number of recent research breakthroughs suggest that it might be feasible to achieve in the not-too-distant future, offering hope for the prospects of one of the world’s most …

The approval of plans to establish the first commercial red drum RAS facility in the US could mark the beginning of a brave new world for a species that was once a seafood staple in the States, as Megan Sorby, founder of Pine Island Redfish, explains.

Although monodon production is now dwarfed by vannamei farming, the species is tipped to make a comeback, with many Asian farmers realising that it could be a lucrative low density alternative to intensive vannamei production.

Attempts to farm burbot – a freshwater cod species that has long been valued for its excellent taste – have proved testing. However, a number of promising research breakthroughs could help a growing number of commercial operators to take the species into the m…

Although native to the US, the American paddlefish is now widely farmed across the world's temperate regions and – thanks to its highly regarded meat and roe – offers an exciting alternative to sturgeon.

Pacu – which are also called tambaqui, pirapitinga, cachama, morocoto, or gamitana – are among the fish with the greatest potential to challenge the dominance of carps and tilapias in tropical freshwater aquaculture, especially if geneticists succeed in elimin…

Most of the fish currently farmed in the sea are carnivores, but there’s a strong argument for producing more marine herbivores, which don’t depend on diets containing fish meal and fish oil.

Indonesia has developed a range of local strains of tilapia, largely to improve growth rates and general disease resistance, but there’s still scope for these to be more widely adopted.

Cryopreservation – involving the freezing and ultra-low temperature storage of ova and sperm – has been demonstrated with varying degrees of success across a range of farmed aquatic species, but more standardised techniques are needed to ensure that it works c…

Flexible ingredient formulations, enzymes, optimised microbiomes and genetics are playing their part in bringing multiple farmed fish species closer to precision nutrition, according to Alltech’s global manager of aquaculture research.

Colombia’s aquaculture industry has been stuck in a cycle of low productivity and low profitability, but a recent value chain analysis notes that the country could capitalise on its climate and geography to become a leading producer of tropical – and native – …

When I was contemplating a topic for this month’s article, I was reminded of a question my daughter asked me several years ago: “Can we feed our dogs a vegetarian diet?”