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Red drums Sciaenops ocellatus that became infested with the copepod Caligus elongatus during rearing in seawater ponds were successfully treated with a 20-min freshwater dip after harvest and before being stocked in the wild. This treatment killed all copepods. Short-term (30min) and long-term (18-h) treatments with Copper Control, trichlorfon, and formalin were less effective than fresh water.

Red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, were raised from juveniles averaging 2.5 g to adults averaging 6.1 kg. Growth rates with simple experimental starter and grower feeds were similar to those with one of the best-performing commercial starter feeds for marine fish. Over the size range of 4.3-2,243 g, experimental feed cost per unit of growth gradually increased from $0.88/kg to $1.54/kg live weight (1996 prices). Thereafter, feed conversion and cost fluctuated, apparently because of temperature variation and fish maturation. Growth from 4.3 to 4,740 g was accomplished in 27 months with an average feed cost of $1.74/kg growth. Raising the fish beyond 4.7 kg was more costly because of worsening feed conversion.