Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #282312

Title: Can reduced stocking rates and natural forage utilization produce market sized catfish from fingerlings in one growing season

Author
item MISCHKE, CHARLES - Mississippi State University
item LI, MENGHE - Missouri State University
item OBERLE, DANIEL - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Aquaculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2010
Publication Date: 9/1/2011
Citation: Mischke, C.C., Li, M.H., Oberle, D.F. 2011. Can reduced stocking rates and natural forage utilization produce market-sized catfish from fingerlings in one growing season. Journal of Applied Aquaculture. 23:271-278.

Interpretive Summary: An attempt was made to grow marketable channel catfish from pond-run fingerlings (15.9 g/fish) using low stocking densities (7,413 or 14,826 fish/ha) and electrified bug lights to enhance natural forage available to fish. Even at low stocking densities, fish only averaged 0.2 kg at the end of the growing season. Marketable sizes of fish were not reached over the growing season; stocking small fingerlings at these rates would not be practical under commercial production. Captured insects from electrified bug lights were near a complete diet for catfish, but bug lights did not capture sufficient quantities of insects to affect fish production in either stocking density. Stocking small fingerlings at low stocking rates does not produce market-sized catfish during one growing season; commercially available bug lights did not provide adequate amounts of natural forage to affect production variables.

Technical Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of growing marketable channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus from pond-run fingerlings (15.9 g/fish) using low stocking densities (7,413 or 14,826 fish/ha) and electrified bug lights to enhance natural forage available to fish. Even at low stocking densities, fish only averaged 0.2 kg at the end of the growing season. Because marketable sizes of fish were not reached over the growing season, stocking small fingerlings at these rates would not be practical under most commercial production scenarios. Nutritionally, captured insects from electrified bug lights were near a complete diet for catfish, but bug lights did not capture sufficient quantities of insects to affect fish production in either stocking density. Stocking small fingerlings at low stocking rates does not produce market-sized catfish during one growing season; commercially available bug lights did not provide adequate amounts of natural forage to affect production variables.