Ming Li , Congbiao You

Hainan Tropical Agricultural Resources Research Institute, Tropical Microbial Resources Research Center, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Marine Science, 2026, Vol. 16, No. 2   
Received: 19 Feb., 2026    Accepted: 28 Mar., 2026    Published: 11 Apr., 2026

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Salinity is one of the most important environmental factors affecting the growth, physiological regulation, and health status of marine fish. Yellowfin seabream (Acanthopagrus latus) is an economically valuable aquaculture species with strong environmental adaptability; however, fluctuations in seawater salinity caused by climate change and intensive aquaculture practices may negatively affect its production performance. This review summarizes the effects of salinity variation on the growth performance, physiological responses, immune function, and molecular regulatory mechanisms of yellowfin seabream. Changes in salinity influence feeding activity, nutrient utilization, energy allocation, osmotic regulation, antioxidant capacity, and disease resistance through complex physiological and biochemical pathways. Salinity stress can induce oxidative damage, alter hematological parameters, and regulate the expression of osmoregulatory and stress-related genes, including ion transporters and antioxidant-related factors. Case studies under different salinity conditions further demonstrate the importance of maintaining suitable salinity ranges for improving growth efficiency and aquaculture sustainability. Future research integrating multi-omics approaches, environmental monitoring technologies, and selective breeding strategies will provide new insights into salinity adaptation mechanisms and promote climate-resilient aquaculture of yellowfin seabream.

Yellowfin seabream; Salinity variation; Growth performance; Osmoregulation; Aquaculture health management