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Abstract:
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During 1972-73, M. cephalus was stocked into 6 ponds receiving heated effluent on the upper end of the Galveston Bay System, Texas. Fish were fed commercially prepared feeds. In 1972, mean daily wt and standard length gains in 2 ponds were 0.71 and 0.66 g and 0.65 and 0.59 mm. In 1973, mean daily wt and standard length gains in 4 ponds were 0.64, 0.36, 0.67 and 0.59 m and 1.03, 0.81, 0.71, and 0.67 mm. During the study, survival rates ranged from 50% to 85%; production, from 293 to 804 kg/ha. Food conversion fluctutated from 2.24 to 3.31; commercial feed costs, from $0.61 to $0.87/kg of fish. M. cephalus is the most desirable fish species for pond culture on the Texas coast. Its low trophic level allows the fish to feed directly on plant material and waste products from organisms higher on the food chain. With refined fertilization and feeding techniques, increased stocking rates, and increased water flow, higher production at a smaller cost can be obtained in the ponds. |