Kerapu / Grouper Fish

 

   

Grouper as warm water  fish lately has been having good price about Rp 70,000 (US$ 70.00 per kg) especially for big restaurant in and outside the country. The grouper used to exported in live to several countries such as Singapore, Japan, Hongkong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and United States. High price and compatability of the environment for grouper cultivation, as Local Government invited Universities and Enterpreneur as partner to explore those challenge of investment. 

Feasibility studies conducted in Pangkalan Susu (Langkat, North Sumatera) and Pacitan (East Java) to ensure the possibility for investment on grouper cultivation using pond raising system or even floating karamba system (karamba = local term for basket of dragnet put in a stream / lake for raising fish). The studies as cooperation between Local Gov't Pacitan Regency and researcher of Indonesian University succeeded on maping 4 hectares potential area in southern coast of Java. The closed distance to main consumer in Singapore and large domestic market in Batam is another advantage for developing the grouper rearing in Langkat, North Sumatera.

As not all coastal area suitable for rearing grouper, should the location be considered for several main factors as followed :

1. Protected from big wave and typhoon as used to stress fish and decreasing their
    appetite.
2. Protected from predator threat which is marine carnivore and sea bird
3. Protected from industrial cesspool pollution, as well as compost heap and
    household wastage
4. Protected from up and down of big ship traffic as they created wavelength and
    ship disposal (diesel fuel)


Determining feasibility of location for cultivation grouper with floating net karamba system basically using cradit value based on several key parameter. The location will be categorized as good as in range of 80 - 100; feasible as in range 70 - 79; quite feasible as long as under qualified parameter could be improved by technological approach; and unfeasible criteria whereas the value below 60.

Species. Grouper has 46 species spread in several habitat,  grouped within 7 genus and 3 genus has been commercially reared so far which is Chromileptes, Plectropomus, and Epinephelus. The commercial species Chromileptes altivelis known as polka dot grouper or hump backed rocked or in local term as kerapu bebek. The species has grey body color with black spot. Their habitat cover such areas from Kepulauan Seribu, Kepulauan Riau, Bangka, Lampung and ridge of rock waters territorial. Another species known as Kerapu Sunuk (coral trout) used to find live in coral waters. Also known as kerapu merah due to their red or brownish body color and change their color while in stress condition; and having blue spots. Habitat areas from Kepulauan Karimunjawa, Kepulauan Seribu, south
ern Lampung, Kepulauan Riau, southern Bangka, and coral waters. Kerapu Lumpur is local term for estuary grouper (Epinephlus spp) has black body color, and some time called as black grouper. This species being a most reared considering their fast growing. Habitat areas most ly in Banten Gulf, Segara Anakan, Kepulauan Seribu, Lampung and estuary areas. 

Rearing. Research Station so far faced a lot of obstacle in producing grouper fry from artificial rearing. Farmers much depend on catch from nature for their fry requirement using several devices such as fishhook, lift up net tied between 2 rafts (or boats), 'sero' such kind of bamboo trap used in rise and fall tides of waters, 'bubu' such kind of basket of bamboo / wire plaited placed at the bottom of waters, dragnet pouch, and pushing dragnet. Fry transported from the collection point to the
rearing area are put in 20 liter plastic bag, filled with 3 liter sea water to hold 20 fry 25 gram body weight on average. Inside temperature maintained at 17 - 20 Celcius degree for 1 - 2 days transportation. 

Grouper in grower phase used to feed with under quality catch fish, cut into pieces to suit the small opening mouth of the fish. Feeding 2 - 3 times a day. Entering the next phase (finisher), feeding rejected fish given at 15 % of total biomass of the 20 - 50 g size of grouper. Feed amount then decreased to remain 10 % of total biomass 100 gram size grouper. The best time for feeding is right after rising sun or right
before sun set.

Market weight fro grouper is about 500 gram which is different between species (400 - 1200 gram for estuary grouper; 500 - 2000 gram for hump backed rocked grouper). Daily growth rate also differ depend on species and body weight. Grouper with initial weight 50 - 100 gram will grow 2 - 3 % daily, meanwhile 200 - 300 gram grouper will have 0.7 - 1.5 %  daily growth rate. It takes 5 months of rearing to have 500 gram market weight from 100 gram initial weight. Estuary grouper fed with rejected fish will have 5 - 8 feed conversion ration, compared to 8 -12 of coral trout.