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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #107974
Title: USE OF ZOOPLANKTON CROPPED FROM PONDS TO CULTURE SUNSHINE BASS, MORONE CHRYSOPS X M. SAXATILIS IN TANKS.

Author
item Ludwig, Gerald
item LOCHMANN, STEVEN - UAPB

Submitted to: Annual Meeting World Aquaculture Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/2/2000
Publication Date: 5/2/2000
Citation: LUDWIG, G.M., LOCHMANN, S. USE OF ZOOPLANKTON CROPPED FROM PONDS TO CULTURE SUNSHINE BASS, MORONE CHRYSOPS X M. SAXATILIS IN TANKS.. ANNUAL MEETING WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY. 2000. p.421.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Tank culture of sunshine bass fry allows monitoring of growth and survival and facilitates optimization of growing conditions. However, the fry initially require live zooplankton. The objective of this study was to determine if fry could be cultured with rotifers and other small zooplankton harvested from ponds with a rotating drum filter. Fry were stocked at 20 fry/L into 260 L tanks when 4-d-old and harvested 21 days later. Zooplankton was fed at 10, 20, or 30/mL/day with three replicates of each treatment. Concentrations were determined daily for each tank and renewed to the treatment value. Plankton was collected with a rotating drum filter from ponds managed to maximize rotifer densities at the time of filtration. Zooplankton was retained by a 60mm mesh filter but passed through a 150mm mesh. Beginning at age 9 days, fry were also offered a <150 mm microencapsulated, 50% protein fry feed at 1 g/2.4 h. Mean survival rates at time of harvest were 3.1%, 14.2% and 24.3% in low to high feeding treatments. The 30 zooplankton/mL treatment fry survived at a significantly higher rate than the 10 zooplankton/mL treatment fry. Average total lengths of fry were 8.24 mm, 8.15 mm, and 7.66 mm and were inversely related to survival with 30 zooplankton/mL treatment fish being smaller the other fry. Use of a drum filter in properly prepared culture ponds was shown to be a practical way of cropping appropriate size zooplankton for use in tank culture of sunshine bass fry.