Seriola is a genus of bony fish, commonly known as amberjacks. Nine extant species are currently recognized, although these were formerly split into many more. Also, several species are currently placed in several other genera of Carangidae that were originally described under Seriola. They are a large, carnivorous finfish popularly known for the firm texture and rich flavour of their flesh, which make them an ideal fish for aquaculture. Because specimens caught can weigh up to, and are powerful swimmers and hunters, they are also highly prized by sport fisherman. Most Seriola species are either benthic, demersal or pelagic, and can be found down to 200 m in depth. All 9 species cover most of the globe in terms of distribution, usually in coastal waters. Most are shown to be pelagic spawners, releasing eggs into the open ocean habitat until hatching, and they do this through dioecious, external reproduction. Most Seriola species are found in schools, and have diets consisting of fish, squid and other invertebrates. The generic name is from the Italian for the Mediterraean populations of the type species of the genus, the greater amberjack, Seriola.
Aquaculture
More than 150,000 tonnes of Seriola are produced through aquaculture per year. The majority is produced in Japan and Korea, with smaller contributions from New Zealand/Australia and America. Japanese yellowtail accounts for more that 80% of global annual production. These cultured species are increasingly used in raw sushi, where they are known as hamachi, buri, kampachi and hiramasa. Several trials are underway for land-based Seriola culture, but currently most Seriola fish are produced in cages, either in nearshore pens or in high-technology, submersible cages out in the open ocean. They are fed a range of diets, from trash fish to basic compound feeds to complex, formulated, compound feeds. As is the case with the majority of aquaculture species, the farming of Seriola has associated environmental or other impacts.
Capture of wild stocks for culture can have direct impacts on associated populations and ecosystems.
Disease is always of great concern within cultured species in terms of introduction and/or amplification of pathogens and parasites and subsequent infection of wild fish, as well as between farms.
There is always a risk of pollution and habitat effects via nutrient losses and chemical additives, which can cause problems depending on habitat vulnerability and where the farms are in relation to the coast.
With effective management of regulations and good farming practices, these problems can be avoided. To address these impacts, the is creating the Seriola and Cobia Aquaculture Dialogue. The purpose of the SCAD is to create standards that will minimize the key impacts of Seriola/Cobia aquaculture and move producers towards better performance. This will be done by identifying the key environmental and social impacts associated with the farming of three types of Seriola and cobia, and principles established for addressing each impact. Then criteria will be developed to provide direction on how to reduce each impact. It is open to all stakeholders, including producers and other members of the supply chain, researchers, NGOs, government officials and investors. The standards will be adopted by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, which will then work with independent, third-party entities to certify farms that are in compliance with the standards.
Species
There are currently nine recognized species in this genus:
Fishbase includes populations of fish similar to Seriola lalandi in the Northern Hemisphere within that species but other authorities regard Seriola aureovittatafrom the NorthPacific Ocean around Japan and Seriola dorsalis of the north eastern Pacific as separate, valid species, with S.lalandi being restricted to the Southern Hemisphere.
