Aquaculture as a tool to support goby‐fry fishery? Current knowledge on biology and ecology of the red‐tailed goby Sicyopterus lagocephalus

Sicydiinae species are amphidromous gobies, adults spawn in freshwater, whereas free embryos undergo a pelagic open sea phase. Post-larvae or juveniles are caught for human consumption when entering in freshwater after their pelagic larvae life in sea-water. Such goby-fry fisheries are existing since centuries and widespread in tropical areasovertheworld.Thereareuncertaintiesrelatedtocaughtvolumesandtrendsbut, overall, go-fry fisheries are declining and their sustainability is questionable. Aquacul-ture is a potential tool in conservation and management of wild goby stocks. Among Sicydiinae species, the red-tailed goby Sicyopterus lagocephalus is the most spread and used as a model species in numerous works involving amphidromous fish. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential in aquaculture of the red-tailed goby through the analysis of the literature available on this species. We found that this species has some assets to be a potential candidate for aquaculture such as a short production cycle and a high fecundity as well as potential high market values. Nevertheless, given the small size at hatching and the long pelagic larval life, larval rearing is likely to be a challenging rearing phase but appears to be feasible based on past experiences with other goby species. Throughout the paper, we provided recommendations for future research in red-tailed goby aquaculture.