Salinity tolerance of fishes: Experimental approaches and implications for aquaculture production

Abstract

The life history, distribution and diversity of fishes are largely influenced by environmental salinity. Changes in salinity affect a range of physiological processes including metabolism, nutrition, reproduction and growth. Therefore, fish can be conditioned to environmental parameters most suitable for production, where distinct traits are optimised through species-specific manipulation of salinities. The primary purpose of this review is to summarise the existing literature on the salinity tolerance of aquacultured fish. The various experimental approaches for determining salinity tolerance are compared, along with summarised information for key species employed in aquaculture, including their native distributions, life history stage and optimal salinity for survival and growth. The implications for production were assessed by considering the effects of salinity on growth, reproduction, management, disease mitigation and marketability.