• Development and Reproduction
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 2016

This study was conducted in order to examine the egg development in red spotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara and the morphological development of its larvae and juveniles, and to obtain data for taxonomic research. This study was conducted in June 2013, and 50 male and female fish were used for the study. One hundred ${\mu}g/kg$ of LHRHa was injected into the body of the fish for inducing spawning, and the fish were kept in a small-sized fish holder ($2{\times}2{\times}2m$). Eggs were colorless transparent free pelagic eggs, 0.71-0.77 mm large (mean $0.74{\pm}0.02mm$, n=30), and had an oil globule. Hatching started within 27 h after fertilization. Pre-larvae that emerged just after hatching were 2.02-2.17 mm in total length (mean $2.10{\pm}0.11mm$), their mouth and anus were not opened yet, and the whole body was covered with a membrane fin. Post-larvae that emerged 15 days post hatching were 3.88-4.07 mm in total length (mean $3.98{\pm}0.13mm$), and had a ventral fin with two rays and a caudal fin with eight rays. Juveniles that were formed at 55 d post hatching, were 31.9-35.2 mm in total length (mean $33.6{\pm}2.33mm$), with red color deposited over the entire body, and black chromophores deposited in a spotted pattern. The number of fin rays, body color, and shape were the same as that in the adult fish.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.457-466
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• 2017

Survival of embryos largely depends on yolk processing during early development. Proteolytic enzymes, cathepsin B & D (ctsb & ctsd) are known to have some important roles in yolk processing of various fish species. Mature female red spotted groupers were injected with human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) to induce ovulation. The fertilized eggs and embryos were sampled at 0, 4 and 24 HPF (hours post fertilization). Survivals of each groups of embryos were checked at 24 and 48 HPH (hours post hatching). Transcripts of ctsb & ctsd showed the highest level at 0 HPF and relatively high at 4 HPF, but greatly decreased at 24 HPF. In bad egg quality group (BE, embryos survived until 24 HPH), transcript level of ctsb at 4 HPF were significantly lower than the transcript level at the same stage in good egg quality group (GE, embryos survived until 48 HPH) while no significant change of ctsb transcript level was observed at 0 or 24 HPF between BE and GE. Transcript level of ctsd was decreased at 24 HPF, but the difference was not as strong as the case of ctsb transcript. These results suggest that maternal ctsb transcript rather than ctsd transcript is likely to be involved in egg quality resulting in the difference of survival rate of embryos at early developmental period in this species.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.565-572
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• 1998

Survival rate of larval red spotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara is very low, because mouth size of the larvae is too small to eat normal sizes of rotifers. In order to enhance larval survival, optimal culture conditions for larvae using different live foods and water temperatures were studied. Bigger live food produced larger size of rotifer, when the rotifer was cultured with three different live foods such as Tetraselmis tetrathele, marine Chlorella and Nannochloris oculata. Also, the size of rotifer produced was temperature-dependent showing that higher water temperature induced smaller rotifer. Survial rate of the larvae increased with the increase of water temperature up to $29{\circ}C$. Also, higher larval survials were found at the food density of 15 to 20 individuals per milliliter. The larvae fed L-type or small individuals of L-type rotifer died all within a week, although the larvae fed S-type or small individuals of S-type one survived successfully during this period. The size of small individuals of S-type rotifer collected through fine net became larger in a few hours within larval culture tank. Survival rate of grouper larvae with initial stocking density of 40 thousands in 6-ton concrete tank was 6.3% in 10 days and 0.2% in 53 days after hatching, respectively. Total length of the larvae reached around 29.5 mm in 53days after hatching.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.187-196
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• 2016

The objective of the current study was to determine acute plasma stress responses in two size groups of juvenile Epinephelus akaara (average body weight: $8.4{\pm}2.1$ and $3.3{\pm}0.6g$; 150 and 120 days after hatch, respectively) exposed to abrupt salinity drops (from 34 practical salinity unit, PSU seawater to 18, 10 PSU (experiment 1) or 26, 18, 10 PSU (experiment 2), respectively). Plasma glucose, glutamic oxalate transaminase, glutamic pyruvate transaminase, red blood cell counts, and gill histology were determined during 72 h exposure. Significantly increased plasma glucose, glutamic oxalate transaminase levels, and red blood cell counts were observed in fish exposed to 18 or 10 PSU. Histological changes, such as hyperplasia and lifting of epithelium in the gill secondary lamellae, were also observed in fish exposed to 18 or 10 PSU at 72 h post-drop. E. akaara exposed to sudden salinity drops to 18 or 10 PSU still seems to undergo the primary adjustment phase before fish reaches a new homeostasis, whereas fish exposed to 26 PSU seems to mount osmotic changes. Therefore, the no observed adverse effect levels for 72 h acute salinity challenge was 26 PSU in our study, and salinity drop to 18 PSU and below can possibly cause acute adverse effect, in which fish could be vulnerable to additional stresses such as a temperature changes or handling stress.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.573-580
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• 1998

Red spotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara is distributed in the south and west coasts of Korea. The natural stocks of the fish are decreasing sharply year by uear because of reckless overfishing. This research was carried out to understand general informations on maturation, sex composition and sex-reversals of the fish. Annual fishing uields of red spotted grouper in the castal area of Byonsan Peninsular of Kora decreased over 10% from 1992 to 1994. The main fishing season was from May to July with fishing gear of Hand-lines. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) and condition factor were highest on early and late July, respectively, thus main spawning reriod was assumed from late July to early August. The relationship between total length (X) and body weight (Y) for wild adults was represented as a regression, Y=$0.0169X^{2.9705}$, ($r^2$=0.96). Frequency of sex of wild red spotted gouper showed that the number of female below 38cm in total length was more than that of male, and hermaphrodite mainly occurred from 28cm to 32cm in total length the frequency of male and female were almost same. Also hermaphrodite occurred mainly between 25~29cm. Sex reversal ration of the adults reared in a tank for a year with different sexual compositions revealted that the frequency of female reversed from male was more than that of male reversed from female at 1:1 and 1:2 stocking densities of female and male, respectively. Also, about 20% of female was reversed to male when all females were reared. And the size of the fish reversed to male was larger than that of non-reversed female.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.128-133
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• 2017

To determine the optimum water temperature (a temperature which minimizes metabolic activities and stress in fish) for long distance transportation of red-spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara), by evaluating the behavior, survival and physiological and hematological responses to variable water temperature conditions (9, 12, 15, 18 and $21^{\circ}C$) for 48 hours. Fish exposed to $9^{\circ}C$ died at 48 hours exposure, but those exposed to 12, 15, 18 and $21^{\circ}C$ treatment groups all survived. Fish in the 15, 18 and $21^{\circ}C$ exposure groups exhibited normal swimming, while those exposed to $12^{\circ}C$ were observed to be stationary at the bottom of the tank. The plasma cortisol and glucose concentration were higher in fish exposed to $12^{\circ}C$ than at other temperature conditions. The fish in the 12 and $15^{\circ}C$ groups had significantly higher hematocrit (Ht) and hemoglobin (Hb) than those in the 18 and $21^{\circ}C$ groups (P<0.05). Levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), $NH_3$ and osmolality showed a pattern similar to the levels of plasma cortisol, while alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and total protein did not significantly vary among the experimental groups. These results indicate that the optimum water temperature for long distance transportation of the red-spotted grouper is $15^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.639-647
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• 2018

A new heat shock protein 70 was identified in red-spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara) based on an expression analysis. The cDNA of red-spotted grouper Hsp70 (designated RgHsp70) was cloned by the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques. The full-length of RgHsp70 cDNA was 2,152 bp, consisting of a 5'-terminal untranslated region (UTR) of 105 bp, a 3'-terminal UTR of 274 bp, and an open reading frame (ORF) of 1,773 bp that encode a polypeptide of 590 amino acids with a theoretical molecular weight of 64.9 kDa and an estimated isoelectric point of 5.2. Multiple alignment and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the RgHsp70 gene shares a high similarity with other Hsp70 fish genes. RgHsp70 contained all three classical Hsp70 family signatures. The results indicated the RgHsp70 is a member of the heat shock protein 70 family. RgHsp70 mRNA was predominately expressed in the liver, with reduced expression noted in the head-kidney tissues. The expression analysis of different water temperatures (21, 18, 15 and $12^{\circ}C$) for sampled livers revealed that expression gradually increased at $12^{\circ}C$ compared to $21^{\circ}C$. In this study, the effects of water temperature lowering on the physiological conditions were investigated, and the results revealed that novel RgHsp70 may be an important molecule involved in stress responses.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.473-483
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• 1997

Yolk resorotion and commencement of external feeding in larvae of red spotted grouper, Epinepheus akaara were studied to understand the high mortality of larvae. Consumption of yolk was higher than that of oil globule for the first 24hs after hatching. The resorption rates of yolk and oil globule increased with the increase of temperature. The time yolk was comsumed up to 99% was 84hs after hatching in 23~$25^{\circ}C$,72hs at ~$27^{\circ}C$, and 60hs in 29~~$31^{\circ}C$, while the time for oil globule was 96hs in 23~$25^{\circ}C$, 84hs at $27^{\circ}C$, and 60hs in 29~$31^{\circ}C$. The relationship between mouth openning time (Y) and water temperature (X) was repersented as a linear regression, Y=-2.53X+118.4, (r2=0.89). In 72~96hs after hatching, upper jaw sizes of the larvae reached around 0.114 mm. By the time the larvae comsumed most of the yolk and oil globule, and started external feeding. The relationship between upper jaw length (Y) and total length (X) was represented as a linear regression, Y=0.139X-0.165, (r2=0.88). Rotifer was not found in the guts of larvae before 72hs after hatching at $28^{\circ}C$, when larvae resorbed their yolk and oil globule over 99%. But, at 96hs after hatching, about 33% of the larvae had the rotifer in their guts. Delayed feeding experiments revealed that the earlier food supply within 84hs after hatching showed the better survival rates for the larvae. The larvae fed at 96hs after hatching died all within 120hs.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.463-472
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• 1997

Floating and hatching rates, size and survival activity index(SAI) of spawned eggs of red spotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara were studied to understand egg qualities during the spawning periods in 1992, 1993 and 1995. The fish spawned from mid-July to mid-August when temperature ranged 23~$28^\circC$. Floating, fertilization and hatching rates were higher in the eggs from early to middle than those from late during the spawning period. SAI ranged 1.8~9.6, and it was closely related to survival rate until mouth operning time (SMOT). Egg diameter decreased gradually with the time of spawning, while diameter of oil globule was constant during the spawning periods. Induced spawnings were carried out with one injection of HCG over 5, 000 IU/kg body weight. Floating, fertilization and hatching rates of the induced spawning eggs were higher than those of untreated ones. Thus, induced spawning method with HCG was recommended for collecting fertilized eggs in bulk. Optimal time for the collection of high quality eggs was supposed to be from early to middle during the spawning periods. Considering that egg qualities were vulnerable within the period, hatchability, incidence of malformed larvae, SMOT and SAI were factors to be considered together to get good quality of eggs.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2019

The deformity occurring at the early developmental stage of red spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara) causes detrimental effects on the process of juvenile production. In this study, we have compared the expressions of several key genes (insulin like growth factor 1: IGF-1, bone morphogenic protein 4: BMP4, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors γ: PPARγ, matrix Gla protein: MGP) for morphogenesis between normal and 2 types (cephalic and jaw) of deformed juvenile fish. Expression of these genes were investigated in the brain, liver and muscle of each group of fish (n=20) by real-time PCR. Expression of IGF-1 and BMP4 mRNA in the brain and liver showed significant difference between normal and deformed fish (p<0.05). However, no difference was observed in the expression of PPARγ and MGP mRNA between normal and deformed fish in any tissues. It seems certain that IGF-1 and BMP4 are associated with the state of deformity in juvenile red spotted grouper.