Challenges and advances in pirarucu production in Brazil: Studies address key issues for the sector

Studies conducted in Brazil have focused on the main challenges faced by commercial producers of pirarucu (Arapaima gigas), focusing on areas such as genetic improvement, larval rearing, feeding, health management, transportation and processing. José Miguel Saud Morheb, a specialist in the production and cultivation of native fish in controlled environments and a fish farmer in Itapuã, Rondônia, shares the contributions of this research to the development of pirarucu aquaculture. Considered an emblematic species of the Amazon fauna, the pirarucu is seen as one of the promising species for the expansion of freshwater aquaculture, due to its high growth rate and strong market demand. Over the past five years, Embrapa has coordinated joint efforts with several research institutions and companies in the sector to address the difficulties that limit the growth of the production chain for this species. One of the central aspects addressed by the studies was the genetic diversity of the ...