This book covers the biology, ecology, genetics and aquaculture of the Asian Seabass or barramundi (Lates calcarifer), a commercially and recreationally valuable species. It brings together in the one place reviews written by world experts in Asian seabass taxonomy, genetics, nutrition, ecology, aquaculture, reproductive and developmental biology,

This book covers the biology, ecology, genetics and aquaculture of the Asian Seabass or barramundi (Lates calcarifer), a commercially and recreationally valuable species. It brings together in the one place reviews written by world experts in Asian seabass taxonomy, genetics, nutrition, ecology, aquaculture, reproductive and developmental biology, climate change impacts, harvest quality and health management.

Tropical Mariculture takes an in-depth look at developmental activities in a growing industry striving towards sustainability and environmental integrity. All of the contributors to this book have considerable experience and expertise in the field of tropical mariculture, and this is the first book to bring expert contributions together. The topics covered are wide and varied, ranging from general issues such as the impact of mariculture on coastal ecosystems to genetic improvement of cultured marine species, as well as the specifics of breeding selected marine species of current importance, such as groupers and sea bass. Significant coverage is also given to the problems of larval rearing in inland aquaculture as well as the demands of water- and land-based resources in a tropical environment. This book will be essential for everyone working in and researching tropical mariculture. - Looks at developmental activities in tropical mariculture - All of the contributors are experts in the field - Covers specific breeding problems and larval rearing - Studies the environmental impact of inland aquacultural activities - Provides detailed examples of cultivated species in the tropics - Compiles mariculture strategies and discusses example species - First book to give an overview of tropical mariculture

Topic Editor Lis Alban works for an organization that gives advice to farmers and abattoirs. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.

There is considerable global interest in the culture of finfish species both for cold and warm water aquaculture development and growth. Essential information on the biology, domestication and aquacultural characteristics of a wide selection of novel and established species is provided in the form of technical sheets, species descriptions and information on current rearing practices, making this a must-have reference in the field of aquacultural science. The book also offers a basic framework in order to support investment strategies for research and development efforts aimed at the emergence of a profitable finfish aquaculture industry and presents a rationale for species diversification, different approaches to species selection and basic economic and market considerations governing the launch of strategic development and commercialization efforts.

From a global perspective aquaculture is an activity related to food production with large potential for growth. Considering a continuously growing population, the efficiency and sustainability of this activity will be crucial to meet the needs of protein for human consumption in the near future. However, for continuous enhancement of the culture of both fish and shellfish there are still challenges to overcome, mostly related to the biology of the cultured species and their interaction with (increasingly changing) environmental factors. Examples of these challenges include early sexual maturation, feed meal replacement, immune response to infectious diseases and parasites, and temperature and salinity tolerance. Moreover, it is estimated that less than 10% of the total aquaculture production in the world is based on populations genetically improved by means of artificial selection. Thus, there is considerable room for implementing breeding schemes aimed at improving productive traits having significant economic impact. By far the most economically relevant trait is growth rate, which can be efficiently improved by conventional genetic selection (i.e. based on breeding values of selection candidates). However, there are other important traits that cannot be measured directly on selection candidates, such as resistance against infectious and parasitic agents and carcass quality traits (e.g. fillet yield and meat color). However, these traits can be more efficiently improved using molecular tools to assist breeding programs by means of marker-assisted selection, using a few markers explaining a high proportion of the trait variation, or genomic selection, using thousands of markers to estimate genomic breeding values. The development and implementation of new technologies applied to molecular biology and genomics, such as next-generation sequencing methods and high-throughput genotyping platforms, are allowing the rapid increase of availability of genomic resources in aquaculture species. These resources will provide powerful tools to the research community and will aid in the determination of the genetic factors involved in several biological aspects of aquaculture species. In this regard, it is important to establish discussion in terms of which strategies will be more efficient to solve the primary challenges that are affecting aquaculture systems around the world. The main objective of this Research Topic is to provide a forum to communicate recent research and implementation strategies in the use of genomics in aquaculture species with emphasis on (1) a better understanding of fish and shellfish biological processes having considerable impact on aquaculture systems; and (2) the efficient incorporation of molecular information into breeding programs to accelerate genetic progress of economically relevant traits.