Saline groundwater as an aquaculture medium: physiological studies on the red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus

Physiological responses of the euryhaline red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, to chloride salt addition, low salinity, and high sulfate concentration were measured. Survival was increased by addition of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) or magnesium chloride (MgCl₂) to dilute artificial seawater (0.2 ppt salinity). Although survival and routine metabolic rates were greater in MgCl₂ treatments, growth and feed efficiency were greater in CaCl₂ treatments. Marginal metabolic scope increased when CaCl₂ or MgCl₂ were added to dilute artificial seawater. There was a strong positive linear relationship (p=0.0001, r=0.91) between fish survival and salinity of artificial seawater dilutions over the salinity range 0.1 to 3.0 ppt. Monovalent ion concentrations in red drum plasma varied; whereas, divalent ion concentrations were relatively constant. Survival and growth were not affected by high sulfate concentrations (2000 mg l^-1) in 3.0 ppt artificial seawater supplemented with either sodium sulfate or magnesium sulfate. Routine metabolic rate and marginal metabolic scope of red drum exposed to high sulfate concentrations were slightly, but not significantly, lower than those of red drum in 3 ppt artificial seawater.