Author
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Ludwig, Gerald |
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Submitted to: Aquaculture Magazine
Publication Type: Trade Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/1997 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Culture of sunshine bass fry (female white bass X male striped bass) was resulting in only 10 percent survival when methods developed for the culture of striped bass or the female striped bass X male white bass hybrid (palmetto bass) fry were used. This trade magazine article reports on research conducted by Gerald Ludwig of SNARC that increased the survival to 60 percent. This increase was obtained as a result of his determination of the successional patterns of zooplankton in freshly filled and fertilized ponds. Ludwig found that zooplankton that were small enough for the sunshine bass fry to consume at the time they had to be stocked were only present in abundance shortly after the ponds were filled. This article instructs culturists to wait until the brood stock is spawned before filling and fertilizing ponds. Five days later, at the physiologically optimal time for the fry to be stocked, zooplankton succession in the ponds will be at point where rotifers and other organisms small enough for the sunshine bass fry to eat will be rapidly increasing in numbers. The potential for high survival is thereby greatly enhanced. Ludwig also describes several factors that influence zooplankton succession. He also describes many procedures that will assist the fry culturist to be successful. Technical Abstract: The potential for greater survival of sunshine bass (female Morone crysops X male M. saxatilis) fry during ponds culture is increased by proper handling of the fry prior to stocking in ponds. Stocking of the fry at a time when zooplankton that are small enough for them to eat (rotifers) are rapidly increasing in abundance will greatly increase their survival over that obtained when previous recommendations of waiting for several weeks for zooplankton development are followed. Survival of sunshine bass fry was increased from 10 percent to 60 percent by use of the latter technique first described in research by Gerald Ludwig. |
