Author
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Ludwig, Gerald |
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Submitted to: Southern Regional Aquaculture Center
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 7/20/2003 Publication Date: 1/4/2004 Citation: Ludwig, G.M. Hybrid striped bass fingerling production in ponds. Southern Regional Aquaculture Center. 2004. p.1-7. Interpretive Summary: Hybrid striped bass (striped bass X white bass) production is one of the fastest growing aquaculture enterprises in the United States. The cross with the white bass as the female parent is called the sunshine bass and it is the cross that is most often cultured. This publication describes techniques (most of them the result of ARS research) that are used to obtain high survival and growth of hybrid striped bass fingerlings. Striped bass, white bass and their hybrids require live food in the form of zooplankton as their first foods and before they can be converted to manufactured feed. Techniques that were developed for the culture of striped bass fry have been modified to accommodate the smaller size of sunshine bass fry. Those fry are only 3-5 mm long when they begin to prey on zooplankton. Striped bass fry were capable of eating crustacean zooplankton called copepods and cladocerans; sunshine bass must be provided with smaller zooplankton called rotifers. Animal communities in ponds that are filled with well water and then fertilized pass through a series that are initially dominated by protozoans, then rotifers and soon by crustacean zooplankton. The time that it takes to reach each stage is dependent upon temperature. In order to obtain adequate survival (>25% by 40 days) the fry must be stocked just before rotifers dominate the zooplankton community. These zooplankton are small enough for the tiny sunshine bass to eat and are not large enough to eat the fry. Tables are presented that estimate how many days to wait after ponds are filled before fry are stocked. Techniques including suggestions on pond size, fertilization types and amounts, stocking rates, time of day to stock, acclimation of fry to pond water, harvesting methods, and how to handle and ship fry are described. Technical Abstract: The demise of wild stocks of striped bass left a void in fish markets that provided an impetus to the development of aquaculture for that species and its hybrids with white bass. Production of those hybrids, particularly the sunshine bass, is one of the fastest growing aquaculture enterprises in the United States. Many of the techniques used to obtain high survival and growth of sunshine bass fingerlings are the result of ARS research. Those techniques and others used to culture hybrid striped bass from the fry to the fingerling stage are described in this publication. These fish require live food in the form of zooplankton before they can be converted to eat manufactured feed. The fry are only 3-5 mm long when they begin to prey on zooplankton. While striped bass fry were capable of eating crustacean zooplankton called copepods and cladocerans; sunshine bass fry are only 3-5 mm long and must be provided with smaller zooplankton called rotifers. Animal communities in ponds that are filled with well water and then fertilized pass through a series that are initially dominated by protozoans, then rotifers and soon by crustacean zooplankton. The time that it takes to reach each stage is dependent upon temperature. In order to obtain adequate survival (>25% by 40 days) the fry must be stocked just before rotifers dominate the zooplankton community. Equations are given that enable farmers to predict when that will happen and provide guidance for when to stock fry. The publication describes proper pond size, fertilization types and amounts to promote zooplankton, stocking rates, time of day to stock, acclimation of fry to pond water, harvesting methods, how to handle and ship fry and other techniques that are needed to successfully culture these fish to the fingerling stage. |
