Abstract:In recent years, the wild fisheries resources have been decreasing, the aquaculture production has been flourishing, and meanwhile the fish welfare has gained increasingly attention from the public and scientists. Under these backgrounds, the environmental enrichment, as a new technology in the fields of aquaculture and fisheries, has gained widely attention and is considered to have great potential in improving life skills of released animals, increasing the production output of farmed animals, and improving the welfare of captive animals. Environmental enrichment refers to the environmental optimization method of increasing production yield, improving fish welfare, controlling fish behaviors and improving physiological status by a deliberate increase in environmental heterogeneity and complexity of water environment. In general, the international environmental enrichment technology related research results emerge endlessly, and the theoretical system is constantly improved. However, the related research of domestic field is very few and is still in the initial stage. This paper first briefly introduces the concept and classification of environmental enrichment, and then reviews the effects of physical enrichment (which has received the most attention at present) on fish aquaculture related traits (such as aggressive behavior, stress response, metabolism, and growth) and adaptive behaviors and individual fitness after release. This review focuses on the possible causes and the potential neuroplasticity mechanism of the results differences between studies and discusses the shortcomings of the previous studies and future directions of the field. This review aims to provide reference for the research in this field and provide valuable information for the sustainable aquaculture and the stock enhancement programs.