محمد حسین خانجانی

Asian seabass with the scientific name Lates calcarifer is known as barramundi in Australia. In addition to tolerant of a wide range of salinities, this fish has been found throughout the western Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, China, Taiwan, and northern Australia. In the breeding season, Asian seabass migrate from fresh and brackish waters to salty sea waters, making it a catadromous fish. This species has been introduced as an ideal option for aquaculture due to several reasons such as high resistance and tolerance to environmental conditions and high stocking density, high growth rate, relatively easy reproduction, easy adaptation to captivity conditions, and acceptance of commercial food. Fry are transferred from larval tanks to nursery tanks when they reach a length of 25 mm or more. The nursery stage lasts between 30 and 45 days until the fry reaches a total length of 5 to 10 cm. After that, they are transferred to cultivation ponds. Feeding weed fish (3 up to 5 cm) and concentrate pellets is done in the nursery stage. Cannibalism is one of the most common causes of death in juvenile Asian seabass, since these fish can swallow prey up to 60% of their length. Small crustaceans, such as copepoda and amphipoda, are the main food source of this fish up to a length of 4 cm in its natural habitat. Upon reaching a size of approximately 8 cm, the fish begins to feed on large crustaceans and pelagic fish. About 80% of the diet of large Asian bass consists of small bony fish. Asian sea bass larval nutrition is discussed in this review.