Culture of Marine Sciaenids in Low Salinity: an Opportunity for Expanded Aquaculture in Mexico
Palabras clave:
Aquaculture, Sciaenids, Euryhaline, Low salinityResumen
The Sciaenidae is a highly diversified family of fish with worldwide distribution across warm-temperate and
tropical waters. Numerous sciaenids are cultured commercially in different regions of the world. Most
sciaenids are marine, but many representatives are euryhaline, i.e., capable of withstanding a wide range of
environmental salinities. Surprisingly enough, the family encompasses 25 strict freshwater species within six
genera. Evidence of the salinity tolerance of various species of sciaenids across the world is large enough to
suggest that commercial culture of sciaenids in low salinity is possible. In Mexico, among finfish families
subjected to fisheries in the Pacific Ocean, Sciaenidae contributes with the largest number of captured species
(24 species), while 13 species of sciaenids are captured in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Besides
the 37 species exploited in commercial fisheries, there are more representatives of this family in Mexico. For
example, at least 30 species of sciaenids are found in the Gulf of California alone. Taking into account this
richness of species, some have been evaluated as candidates for aquaculture, including totoaba (Totoaba
macdonaldi), the Gulf corvina (Cynoscion othonopterus), and the shortfin corvina (C. parvipinnis). All three
species have shown to be euryhaline. For T. macdonaldi, definite proof that it can be cultured to marketable
size in low salinity is presented. The information herein presented provides opportunities for expanded
aquaculture of sciaenids in Mexico, using a variety of water sources, such as brackish or diluted saltwater,
rivers, dams, or ground waters, perhaps in locations in which commercial culture was not previously thought
possible.
Descargas
Citas
Acha, E.M., Mianzan, H., Lasta, C.A., Guerrero, R.A., 1999. Estuarine spawning of the whitemouth croaker
Micropogonias furnieri (Pisces: Sciaenidae), in the Río de la Plata, Argentina. Mar. Freshwater Res.
, 57-65.
Anzueto-Calvo, M.J., Velázquez-Velázquez, E., Gómez-González, A.E., Quiñones, R.M., Joyce-Olson, B.,
Peces de la Reserva de la Biósfera Selva El Ocote, Chiapas, México. Universidad de Ciencias
y Artes de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico, 139 pp.
Bobadilla, M., Alvarez-Borrego, S., Avila-Foucat, S., Lara-Valencia, F., Espejel, I., 2011. Evolution of
environmental policy instruments implemented for the protection of totoaba and the vaquita porpoise
in the Upper Gulf of California. Environmental Science & Policy 14, 998–1007.
Boeger, W.A., Marteleto, F.M., Zagonel, L., Braga, M.P., 2015. Tracking the history of an invasion: the
freshwater croakers (Teleostei: Sciaenidae) in South America. Zoologica Scripta 44, 250-262.
Cárdenas, S., 2012. Biología y acuicultura de corvinas en el mundo. Revista AquaTIC 37, 1-13.
Casatti, L., 2002. Petilipinnis, a new genus for Corvina grunniens Schomburgk, 1843 (Perciformes,
Sciaenidae) from the Amazon and Essequibo river basins and redescription of Petilipinnis grunniens.
Papépis Avulsos Zool. 42, 169–181.
Chao, L. N. 1978. A basis for classifying western Atlantic Sciaenidae (Teleostei: Perciformes). NOAA
Technical Report NMFS Circular 415: 1-65.
Chao, N.L., 1986. A synopsis on zoogeography of Sciaenidae. In: Indo-Pacific Fish Biology Proceedings of
the Second Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, July 28–Agust 3, 1985, Tokyo, Japan, pp. 570–589.
Chatzifotis, S., Villamor, A., Limberis, N., Papandroulakis, N., Divanach, P., 2006. First data on growth of
culture brown meagre Sciaena umbra using diets with different protein and fat contents. Fisheries
Science 72, 83-88.
Cooke, G.M., Chao, N.L., Beheregaray, L.B., 2012. Marine incursions, cryptic species and ecological
diversification in Amazonia: the biogeographic history of the croaker genus Plagioscion
(Sciaenidae). Journal of Biogeography 39, 724–738.
Craig, S.R., Neill W.H., Gatlin III, D.M., 1995. Effects of dietary lipid and environmental salinity on growth,
body composition, and cold tolerance of juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). Fish Physiology
and Biochemistry 14, 49-61.
Doupé, R.G., Lymbery, A.J., Starcevich, M.R., 2003. Rethinking the land: the development of inland saline
aquaculture in Western Australia. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 1:30–37.
Doroudi, M.S., Fielder, D.S., Allan, G. L., Webster, G.K., 2006. Combined effects of salinity and potassium
concentration on juvenile mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus, Temminck and Schlegel) in inland
saline groundwater. Aquaculture Research 37:1034–1039.
Eschmeyer, W.N., Fong, J.D., 2013. Species by Family/Subfamily.
<http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp>
(accessed 07.24.17).
Espinosa-Perez, H., Gaspar-Dillanes., M.T., Fuentes-Mata, P., 1993. Listados faunísticos de México III. Los
peces dulceacuícolas mexicanos. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico,
pp.
FAO, 2012. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2012. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department,
Rome, Italy, 209 pp.
Ferreira, H.L., Vine, N.G., Griffiths, C.L., Kaiser, H., 2008. Effect of salinity on growth of juvenile silver
kob, Argyrosomus inodorus (Teleostei: Sciaenidae). African Journal of Aquatic Science 33(2), 161–
Flaherty, M., Szuster, B., Miller, P., 2000. Low inland Shrimp farming in Thailand. Ambio 29 (3), 174-179.
Flaherty, M., Vandergeest, P., 1998. ‘‘Low-salt’’ shrimp aquaculture in Thailand: Goodbye coastline, hello
Khon Kaen! Environmental Management 22, 817-830.
Flanagan, C.A., Hendrickson, J.R., 1976. Observations on the commercial fishery and reproductive biology of
Totoaba, Cynoscion macdonaldi, in the northern Gulf of California. Fishery Bulletin 74, 531-544.
Forsberg, J.A., Dorsett, P.W., Neill W.H., 1996. Survival and Growth of Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus in
Saline Groundwaters of West Texas, USA. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 27, 462-474.
Fuentes-Mata, P., Espinoza-Pérez, H.S., 2010. Biodiversidad de los peces mexicanos y su aprovechamiento.
Seminario “México País Megadiverso. Una Oportunidad de Desarrollo”, Secretaría de Medio
Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Mexico City, June 04, 2010.
Gobierno del Estado de Baja California, 2000-2015. Carta Estatal Pesquera de Baja California. Ensenada,
Baja California, Mexico. 233 pp.
González-Félix, M.L., Minjarez-Osorio, C., Perez-Velazquez, M., Urquidez-Bejarano, P., 2015. Influence of
dietary lipid on growth performance and body composition of the Gulf corvina, Cynoscion
othonopterus. Aquaculture 448, 401-409.
González-Félix, M.L., Maldonado-Othón, C.A., Perez-Velazquez, M., 2016. Effect of dietary lipid level and
replacement of fish oil by soybean oil in compound feeds for the shortfin corvina (Cynoscion
parvipinnis). Aquaculture 454, 217-228.
González-Félix, M.L., Perez-Velazquez, M., Cañedo-Orihuela, H., 2017. The effects of environmental
salinity on the growth and physiology of totoaba Totoaba macdonaldi and shortfin corvina
Cynoscion parvipinnis. Journal of Fish Biology. On-line First. DOI:10.1111/jfb.13358.
Hodge, L.D., 2006. Snaring the red drum. A saltwater fish provides some of the best freshwater fishing. Texas
Parks and Wildlife Magazine, August 2006. Available at
http://tpwmagazine.com/archive/2006/aug/ed_3/.
Jirsa, D.O., Davis, D.A., Arnold, C.R., 1997. Effects of dietary nutrient density on water quality and growth
of red drum Sciaenops ocellatus in closed system. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 28, 68-
Juarez, L.M., Konietzko, P.A., Schwarz, M.H. 2016. Totoaba aquaculture and conservation: Hope for an
endangered fish from Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. World Aquaculture 47 (4), 30-38.
Kottelat, M., Whitten, A.J., Kartikasari, S.N., Wirjoatmodjo, S. 1993. Freshwater fishes of Indonesia and
Sulawesi. Periphus Ed., Hong Kong, 221 pp.
Lo, P.C., Liu, S.H., Chao, N.L., Nunoo, F.K.E., Mok, H.K., Chen, W.J., 2015. A multi-gene dataset reveals a
tropical New World origin and Early Miocene diversification of croakers (Perciformes: Sciaenidae).
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 88, 132–143.
Lovejoy, N.R., Albert, J.S., Crampton, W.G.R., 2006. Miocene marine incursions and marine/freshwater
transitions: evidence from Neotropical fishes. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 21, 5–13.
Matlock, G.C., 1990. The life history of red drum. In Red drum aquaculture (Chamberlain, G.W., Miget, R.J.,
Haby, M.G., Eds.), pp. 1–21. Texas A & M University Sea Grant College Program, TAMU-SG-90-
, 1990. Port Aransas: University of Texas Marine Science Institute. Available at
http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/tamu/tamuw87003/tamuw87003_full.pdf.
Minjarez-Osorio, C., Castillo-Alvarado, S., Gatlin, D.M. III, González-Félix, M.L., Perez-Velazquez, M.,
Rossi Jr., W., 2016. Plant protein sources in the diets of the sciaenids red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)
and shortfin corvina (Cynoscion parvipinnis): A comparative study. Aquaculture 453, 122-129.
Miranda, L.E., Sonski, A.J., 1985. Survival of red drum fingerlings in fresh water: dissolved solids and
thermal minima. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies 39, 228–237.
Nelson, J.S., 2006. Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken. New Jersey, USA. 601 pp.
O’Sullivan, D., Savage, D., Fay, A., 2007. Status of Australian aquaculture in 2004/2005. Pages 7–27 in
Austasia Aquaculture Trade Directory 2007. Turtle Press Publishing, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Partridge, G.J., Lymbery, A.J., George R.J., 2008. Finfish mariculture in inland Australia: A review of
potential water sources, species, and production systems. J. World Aquacult. Soc. 39, 291-310.
Perez-Velazquez, M., Martínez-Porchas, M., González Félix, M.L., Martínez Córdova, L., 2009. El cultivo de
camarón blanco del Pacífico Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone) en baja salinidad, como una opción de
acuicultura sustentable. In: Camaronicultura sustentable. Editorial Trillas, México D.F., p. 145-164.
ISBN 978-607-17-0036-0.
Perez-Velazquez, M., P. Urquidez-Bejarano y M. L. González-Félix. 2014. Evidence of eurihalinity of the
gulf corvina (Cynoscion othonopterus). Physiological Research 63, 659-666.
Perez-Velazquez, M., González-Félix, M.L., Viana, M.T., Lazo-Corvera, J.P., Maldonado-Othón, C.A., 2015.
Effects of dietary protein and lipid levels on growth and body composition of the Gulf corvina,
Cynoscion othonopterus. International Journal of Aquatic Science 6 (2), 11-18.
Peterson, M.S., Comyns, B.H., Rakocinski, C.F., Fulling, G.L., 1999. Does salinity affect somatic growth in
early juvenile Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus (L.) Journal of Experimental Marine
Biology and Ecology 238: 199–207.
Rossi, W., Tomasso, J.R., Gatlin, D.M., 2015. Production performance and non-specific immunity of cageraised
red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, fed soybean-based diets. Aquaculture 443, 84–89.
Roy, L.A., Davis, D.A., Saoud, I.P., Boyd, C.A., Harvey, J.P., Boyd, C.E., 2010. Shrimp culture in inland low
salinity waters. Reviews in Aquaculture 2, 191-208.
Rowell, K., Flessa, K.W., Dettman, D.L., Román, M., 2005. The importance of Colorado River flow to
nursery habitats of the Gulf corvine (Cynoscion othonopterus). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and
Aquatic Sciences 62, 2874-2885.
SAGARPA (Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación). 2012. Carta
Nacional Pesquera. Diario Oficial de la Federación, México, August 24, 2012.
Sandifer, P.A., Hopkins, J.S., Stokes, A.D., Smiley, R.D., 1993. Experimental pond grow-out of red drum,
Sciaenops ocellatus, in South Carolina. Aquaculture 118, 217-228.
Sasaki, K., 1989. Phylogeny of the family Sciaenidae with notes on its zoogeography (Teleostei,
Perciformes). Mem. Fac. Fish. Hokkaido Univ. 36, 1–137.
Segato, S., Lopparelli, R.M., Borgoni, N., Zanella, L., Corato, A., Andrighetto, I., 2005. Effect of dietary
crude fat to NFE ratio on growth, feed efficiency and quality traits of juvenile shi drum (Umbrina
cirrosa). Cahiers Options Mediterranéennes 63, 27-34.
Springer, V.G., 1982. Pacific plate biogeography, with special reference to shorefishes. Smithson. Contrib.
Zool. 367, I-IV + 1-82.
Van der Heiden A.M. (1985) Taxonomía, biología y evaluación de la ictiofauna demersal del Golfo de
California, Cap. 4: 149-199. In: Yáñez-Arancibia A. (Ed.) Recursos pesqueros potenciales de
México: La pesca acompañante del camarón. Progr. Univ. de Alimentos, Inst. Cienc. del Mar y
Limnol., Inst. Nal. Pesca, UNAM, México D.F. 748 pp.
Wang, Y., Li, W., Li, L., Zhang, W., Lu, W., 2016. Effects of salinity on the physiological responses of the
large yellow croaker Pseudosciaena crocea under indoor culture conditions. Aquaculture Research
, 3410–3420.
Wilson, C. A. (1990). Extensive aquaculture of red drum in the southern United States. In Red Drum
Aquaculture (Chamberlain, G.W., Miget, R. J. & Haby, M. G., eds), pp. 154–164. Texas A & M
University Sea Grant College Program, TAMU-SG-90-603, 1990. Port Aransas: University of Texas
Marine Science Institute. Available at
http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/tamu/tamuw87003/tamuw87003_full.pdf/.
