low capital investment, and uses existing bodies of water, so production can be easily increased or decreased. Disadvantages compared to pond culture include vulnerability to external water quality problems and predators. Also, no control over water temperature, which is known to strongly affect growth rates, is possible. Grouper consistently demands a high market price, so fishing pressure is intense. To alleviate the pressure on wild grouper stocks, many nations have promoted aquaculture in the hopes of producing a more sustainable grouper yield. Hong Kong is the primary producer of areolate grouper raised by aquaculture, and about 155 metric tons were produced in 2004. Full-cycle culture of most grouper species, including the areolate grouper, is not yet possible, although several important advances have been made in recent years. For this reason, about two-thirds of all grouper culture, including culture of E. areolatus, involves the capture of wild grouper eggs which are then grown out in aquaculture. This is called capture-based aquaculture (CBA). The wild eggs are gathered by a variety of artisanal methods, and because success is not predictable, the production varies as well. Commercial fishing for areolate grouper done with long lines and hand lines. While its popularity for food has led to some species being threatened, currently no threat to the survival of E. areolatus exists. The table at right shows the amount of areolate grouper produced by farming between 1992 and 2004 and the amount produced by capture in Saudi Arabia (Indian Ocean) between 1996 and 2004, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations References External links Photos of many species of grouper Photo of aquaculture farms in China in which grouper are raised, Aquaculture Asia Magazine April-June, 2010, p. 34 areolate grouper Fish of Palau Fish of Thailand areolate grouper