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USGS · 70228585

Availability and timing of fathead minnow supplementation influence largemouth bass survival and production in rearing ponds

Steven R. Chipps·Matthew J. Ward
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Abstract

Adjustments to rearing practices should be justified with increases in production, stocking success, or angler satisfaction. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) production was assessed between hatchery ponds where fish were restricted to an invertebrate diet or received supplemental fathead minnow ( Pimephales promelas ) forage during 2015. At harvest, age-0 bass yield was 4.5 times greater and average fish length was 38 mm longer, in the pond that received fathead minnow. In 2016, a second study evaluated the timing of minnow supplementation that included earlier stockings of small fathead minnow (< 30 mm) compared to delayed supplementation with larger (> 30 mm) minnows. With earlier supplementation, bass yield was 2.3 times greater and fish averaged 14 mm longer at harvest. Bass survival was approximately 38% higher during 2015 when supplementation occurred and 25% higher during 2016 when minnow supplementation began earlier. Our findings show invertebrate forage was probably limiting bass production in hatchery ponds and supplementing with appropriately-sized fathead minnows increased age-0, largemouth bass production.

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Open Journal of Animal SciencesArticle
90° N90° S · 180° W ← longitude → 180° E
Source-reported bounding extent: 45.32753043597215° to 45.33440918070839° latitude; -97.3110580444336° to -97.29183197021484° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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BibTeXRIS

Steven R. Chipps, Matthew J. Ward. 2020. Availability and timing of fathead minnow supplementation influence largemouth bass survival and production in rearing ponds. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojas.2020.103020

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Rearing performance of juvenile brown trout Salmo trutta fed a bioprocessed soybean meal diet with differing velocity regimes

This 121-day experiment evaluated the rearing performance of brown trout Salmo trutta fed one of two isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets (46% protein, 16% lipid) and reared at velocities of either 2.8 or 16.1 cm/s. Fishmeal was the primary protein source for the reference diet, which was compared to a bioprocessed soybean meal ingredient that replaced approximately 67% of the fishmeal in the experimental diet. At the end of the experiment, there were no significant differences in gain, percent gain, feed conversion rates, nor specific growth rates between the dietary treatments. There were also no significant differences in intestinal morphology, splenosomatic, hepatosomatic, and viscerosomatic indices related to diet composition. However, gain, percent gain, feed fed, and specific growth rate were all significantly greater in brown trout reared at the higher velocity. No significant differences in any of the other variables measured were observed between the velocity treatments. There were no significant interactions between diet and velocity in any of the variables. Based on the results of this study, bioprocessed soybean meal can replace at least 67% of the fish meal in brown trout diets, regardless of the rearing velocities used in this study. Higher rearing velocities are recommended to maximize juvenile brown trout growth rates.

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