ARS | Publication request: Production characteristics of channel catfish and channel x blue catfish in earthen ponds

Submitted to: Book of Abstracts Aquaculture America
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 10, 2008
Publication Date: February 16, 2009
Citation: Green, B.W. 2009. Production characteristics of channel catfish and channel x blue catfish in earthen ponds [abstract]. Book of Abstracts Aquaculture America. p.132.

Technical Abstract: The channel (female) x blue (male) hybrid catfish increasingly is being selected by catfish farmers in the United States as their culture fish. This completely randomized design study in 2 x 2 factorial arrangement was conducted to compare production traits in earthen ponds of the channel x blue hybrid catfish to those of channel catfish from the same line used to make the hybrid catfish when fish were fed full and restricted rations. Juvenile catfish were stocked into four replicate 0.1-ha earthen ponds per treatment at 14,820 fish/ha during March-April. Each pond was equipped with a 0.559 kW electric paddlewheel aerator that was turned on when pond dissolved oxygen was less than 4.5 mg/L. Fish were fed daily as much 32 percent protein feed as they could consume in a 20-min period. Fish within each genetic group in the restricted feed treatment were fed 80 percent of the mean amount of feed consumed by fish in the unrestricted feed treatment. Water quality in ponds was monitored throughout the experiment. Ponds were harvested in November. The effects of genetic line and feeding rate on fish production and pond water quality were evaluated.