Short CommunicationTemperature preference of juvenile dusky kob Argyrosomus japonicus (Pisces: Sciaenidae)

Abstract

The final temperature preference of cultured juvenile dusky kob is determined to provide an indicator of their optimum temperature for growth. Trials were conducted over a five-day period in horizontal temperature gradients ranging from 21°C to 27°C. Control trials were run for the same duration, in isothermal conditions. The final temperature preference of the juvenile fish was 25°–26.4°C. This falls within the upper end of the temperature range of 12°–28°C that juvenile kob experience in the wild and has important implications for the optimal location of kob farms in southern Africa.

Keywords: aquaculture, Argyrosomus japonicus, final temperature preference, horizontal choice chamber, South Africa

African Journal of Marine Science 2007, 29(3): 539–543