Sea bass are territorial aggressive fish that require specific density and grouping management to minimise aggression-related welfare harm in aquaculture.
Sea bass aggression in intensive culture causes injuries including fin erosion, body wounds, and in severe cases enucleation of eyes. These injuries cause pain and create infection entry points. Subordinate fish excluded from feeding suffer nutritional stress and impaired welfare. Welfare-conscious aggression management includes regular size grading to maintain cohort size homogeneity, appropriate stocking density that allows escape from dominant individuals, multiple small feeding events to distribute competition, and monitoring for injury rates as a welfare outcome indicator. Reducing aggression is both a welfare and production priority.