ABSTRACT
The grouper is a delicious and expensive food in Japan, Taiwan and southeast Asia; among groupers the malaba grouper (Epinephelus malabaricus) and kelp grouper (E. bruneus) are protogynous hermaphrodite fish, and functional males are reported to mature at 5 to 10 years of age, when reaching a weight of 19 kg or more. Due to their large size, the source of male broodstock is limited; thus, collecting semen is always a problem. Cryopreservation of grouper sperm would reduce the number of males needed, minimize handling stress through less frequent stripping, facilitate artificial propagation when ova are available, promote genetic and breeding studies, and enhance seed production on a commercial scale.
