Growth and Survival of the Tapiroid Grunter, Mesopristes cancellatus (Cuvier, 1829) in Different Salinity Levels under Laboratory Conditions

Increased demand for Tapiroid grunter (Mesopristes cancellatus), locally known as “pigek” in the market, has led to an interest in the commercial culture of this fish. However, little is known about the effect of salinity on the growth and survival of this fish. Mesopristes cancellatus (57.25 g ± 3.08 average body weight) used in this study were collected from the estuaries of Bayug, Iligan City. The growth and survival of this species were examined at four different salinity levels [0 ppt as control (T1), 10 ppt (T2), 20 ppt (T3), and 30 ppt (T4)] at a density of one individual 100 L-1 at MSU Naawan Pigek Hatchery. The results revealed that “pigek” had the highest weight gain in 20 ppt (74.67 ± 6.03 g) and the lowest in 30 ppt (55 ± 7.21g) after 120-d of culture. Throughout the sampling period, those in the 30 ppt treatment exhibited significantly lower weight gain than the other treatments. Furthermore, it had the lowest specific growth rate of -0.615% day-1, while the highest rate was recorded in 20 ppt treatment at 0.45% day-1. The survival rate was found to be 100% in all treatments. Although M. cancellatus can tolerate a wide range of salinity up to 30 ppt, this species showing the highest growth in 20 ppt salinity conditions is more suitable for brackishwater aquaculture.