In vitro hybridization of coral trouts, Plectropomus leopardus (Lacepède, 1802) and Plectropomus maculatus (Bloch, 1790): a preliminary investigation

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[Extract] Coral trouts of the genus Plectropomus are members of the serranid subfamily Epinephelinae, which are commonly known as groupers. Two of these species, Plectropomus leopardus (Lacepede, 1802) and Plectropomus maculatus (Bloch, 1790), are among the most popular and valuable of the groupers, and both species are major targets of reef fisheries which operate throughout the Indo-West Pacific region (Williams 2002; Sadovy, Donaldson, Graham, McGilvray, Muldoon, Phillips, Rimmer, Smith & Yeeting 2003). Much of the catch is exported to Hong Kong, where the retail price of live specimens ranges from US$50 to 75 per kg (Sadovy et al. 2003). This high value has resulted in a strong demand for coral trouts and an upward trajectory in their total annual harvest (Williams 2002; Sadovy et al. 2003). Fishing pressure has significantly decreased the abundance of coral trouts in parts of Australia and Southeast Asia (Sadovy et al. 2003; Evans & Russ 2004); thus, there is a need to develop more sustainable methods of supplying coral trouts to the market. Although there have been many previous attempts to culture these fish in Australia and Southeast Asia, most have been unsuccessful, largely due to problems associated with the acceptance of live feeds by early larval stages (Rimmer, Garrett & Samoilys 1994; Sadovy et al. 2003).