青石斑魚 (Epinephelus awoara) 屬於鮨科 (Serranidae)、石斑魚屬 (Epinephelus)魚類，英文俗名為 Yellow grouper，中文俗名有黃斑、中溝及白馬罔仔等。分布於西北太平洋區，包括韓國、日本、南中國、越南及臺灣。棲息於水深10–50 m處之石礫區或沙泥區海域，幼魚則常出現在潮池區並以魚類為主食。青石斑魚為高經濟性之食用魚，市場價格約 500-600 元/斤，目前市場上的個體全為野生捕撈，為了穩定的供應市場需求、提供多樣化的養殖物種，農業部水產試驗所海水養殖研究中心從110年開始收集青石斑魚親魚進行蓄養，嘗試發展繁養殖技術。 

人工環境中的青石斑魚於113年自然產卵，透過牡蠣幼生、橈足類無節幼生等餌料生物，已經成功在室內50噸的水泥池培育魚苗並養成至稚魚期。

有關青石斑魚在人工環境中的生殖行為及魚苗發育目前還沒有相關的學術報告發表，因此水產試驗所的研究成果是全球首次的描述。

The yellow grouper (Epinephelus awoara), belonging to the family Serranidae and the genus Epinephelus, is commonly known in English as the yellow grouper.  This species is distributed in the northwestern Pacific region, including Korea, Japan, southern China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. It inhabits rocky or sandy-muddy areas at depths of 10–50 m, while juveniles are often found in tidal pools and primarily feed on fish. The yellow grouper is a highly valued food fish, with a market price of approximately 500–600 NTD per 600 g. Currently, all individuals available in the market are wild-caught. To ensure a stable supply and diversify aquaculture species, the Mariculture Research Center of the Fisheries Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, began collecting broodstock of E. awoara in 2021 to develop breeding and culture techniques.

In 2024, E. awoara successfully spawned naturally under artificial rearing conditions. Using oyster larvae and nauplii of copepods as live feed, the larvae were successfully reared in 50-ton indoor concrete tanks and grown to the juvenile stage.

To date, there have been no published scientific reports describing the reproductive behavior or larval development of E. awoara under artificial conditions. Therefore, the research results of the Fisheries Research Institute represent the first such description in the world.