Dorsal fin: 14 soft rays and 7 spines

Anal fin: 8 soft rays and 3 spines

Total length: 84cm

Standard length: 74cm

Weight: 7870 gr

Catch area: Dayer coastal waters

Family: Centropomidae

Scientific name: Lates calcarifer

Remarks:

Asian sea bass is one of the cultured species that brought from Thailand and Indonesia to Bushehr four years ago. The experimental aquaculture of this species was begun in 2009. There is a report that two years ago some of the cultured fishes were released from a hatchery in Kangan waters (close to the Dayer) and it seems this specimen can be one of the released fishes from this hatchery. The released fishes were around 700-800 grams and if the caught fish is one of them, it would be about 10 times bigger than since two years. This species is not a native fish and has high fecundity and wide physiological tolerances that is a good biological characteristic for distribution in the new area, but may have negative impacts on the native species.

Nassir Niamaimandi, Ph.D.

Iran Shrimp Research Institute

Bushehr-Iran