Growth performance of Mediterranean Sea species under high temperatures

Diversifying aquaculture in Saudi Arabia with the inclusion of finfish species already reared in the Mediterranean Sea requires a sufficient understanding of the preferences and limits of cultured fish under local conditions. This study was conducted using three finfish species, juveniles (135–155g), meager (Argyrosomus regius), European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), and greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili), to assess their growth performance under high temperatures for three-month-long thermal trials. Each species trial was performed in triplicates in a recirculating aquaculture system, while three temperature ranges, 24°C–25°C, 28°C–29°C, and 33°C–34°C, were tested, representing the average temperatures in the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Both meager and European seabass performed similarly between the first two temperatures, indicating that the optimum range lies within that thermal window. Growth performance indicates that it is lower for meager than it is for European seabass. The greater amberjack’s growth performance was similar for the first two temperatures. The temperature of tolerance was 33°C for all species. The species appeared to have similar thermal tolerance with notable differences in the preferable temperature for optimum performance. The findings of this study can be used to improve the growth performance and feed efficiency of Mediterranean species farming in temperature ranges ranging from 24°C–28°C.