The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, which recently achieved a breakthrough in brood stock development and induced spawning of Indian pompano, locally called avoli vatta , is now in the process of standardisation of larval development in groupers ( kalava ).
The success with Indian pompano (Trachinotus mookalee) was achieved by scientists at the Visakhapatnam centre of the CMFRI in March this year. Earlier, researchers at the Mandapam centre of the institute had succeeded in breeding silver pompano.
However, a scientist at the institute here said seed rearing was a difficult process in groupers, a commercially important species. The experiments were in their initial stages, the scientist added.
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Groupers is the latest species on which CMFRI scientists are working after their successes with silver pomapano and cobia.
The CMFRI scientist said the success with silver pompano, which commands a farm gate price of about Rs. 300 a kg, had prompted farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to take up pompano culture.
Culture of the fish in Kerala has been limited because of the specific conditions in the State. “Pompano require about eight months of rearing and the rains reduce salinity in ponds, a drawback as far as the species is concerned,” the scientist said.
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A report on the success in brood stock development in Indian pompano said that it was an ideal candidate species given its meat quality and high market demand. It is fast-growing and occurs along the North-East coast of India but is not a major catch.
Its ability to grow in lower salinity has made it suitable for culturing in brackish water ponds. It has also great potential for sea cage farming. Groupers too is a fast-growing variety, can be farmed in different salinity levels and has buoyant demand in the market.