Age Determination of Hybrid Catfish and Channel Catfish from Commercial Catfish Farms

Creel, James; Hanson, Terrill R.; Roy, Luke A.; Sammons, Steven M.

doi:10.1002/naaq.10193

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Regardless of the effects of fish size on FCR, the choices of a target market size and when to harvest are not under the control of catfish farmers. The market size of catfish demanded in the marketplace ranges from about 0.45–1.81 kg (Creel et al, 2021). To sell fish, farmers must produce the size of catfish demanded in the marketplace, the fish must be on‐flavor, and a processor must agree to schedule those fish for processing (Li et al, 2020).…”

Section: Review Of Research Fcr Values and Factors That Affect Fcrmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The lack of evidence that management decisions result in either higher or lower FCR suggests that other, less controllable factors play a greater role in farm FCR values. For example, FCR values are affected by very large catfish in ponds in multiple‐ and single‐batch culture and channel as well as hybrid catfish ponds (Creel et al, 2021). These large fish (>3.6 kg to sizes exceeding 20 kg) are those that escaped the large commercial seines during harvest.…”

Section: Review Of Research Fcr Values and Factors That Affect Fcrmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors affecting feed conversion ratios in US commercial catfish production ponds

Stone,

Engle,

Kumar

et al. 2024

J World Aquaculture Soc

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Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is widely used as a measure of feed use efficiency in commercial aquaculture production and research. Surprisingly, little work has focused on the factors that affect FCR in plankton‐based, commercial ponds despite the widespread use of FCR as a production metric. Proposals to use FCR as a numeric standard for environmental regulation (mandatory or voluntary) raise questions as to whether FCR meets the reliability and consistency requirements of a good metric, and whether it would lead to desired behavioral changes. This article summarizes FCR data from university research verification programs conducted on US catfish farms and databases developed from commercial farm records. The relevant research literature is synthesized with respect to factors that affect FCR. US catfish is used as a case study because pond‐level data from verification trials (Extension/research‐led on‐farm trials of best available science) and commercial farm records are available. While specific to US catfish production, the analysis provides insights into factors affecting FCR that likely apply to other pond‐based aquaculture species. Commercial verification of pond data showed (1) significant variation in FCR (coefficients of variation from 1% to 47%) among ponds with similar stocking, feeding, and aeration rates; (2) significant effects of survival on FCR; and (3) no significant effects on FCR of yield, feed type, management, or production system. Improvements in FCR would occur with improved survival that requires improved management of federally protected fish‐eating bird populations and development of additional, effective vaccines for diseases. FCRs were found to not exhibit the degree of reliability and consistency required for use as an effective metric or numeric standard for regulatory purposes. Use of FCR for mandatory or voluntary regulation is unlikely to lead to behavioral changes by farmers.

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Section: Review Of Research Fcr Values and Factors That Affect Fcrmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Review Of Research Fcr Values and Factors That Affect Fcrmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors affecting feed conversion ratios in US commercial catfish production ponds

Stone,

Engle,

Kumar

et al. 2024

J World Aquaculture Soc

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Harvested catfish that are either over or under the desired size range of processors are often heavily discounted, resulting in lower profits for farmers (Wiese et al 2006;Creel et al 2021). Partial harvest of food-sized fish during the summer reduces the numbers of large fish in the fall but also reduces the total net production and profitability (Mischke et al 2017a).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2006; Creel et al. 2021). Partial harvest of food‐sized fish during the summer reduces the numbers of large fish in the fall but also reduces the total net production and profitability (Mischke et al.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Brooder Age and Size on Fry Size Variation in Channel Catfish

et al. 2023

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Variation in harvest size of ictalurid catfishes can be problematic for both catfish producers and processors, ultimately reducing profitability for both. Although harvesting and grading techniques can reduce this variation, the biological underpinnings of these size discrepancies remain unknown. Fry from Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus brooders that were 2–5 years old were measured to determine the amount of naturally occurring variation in body mass among sac fry and swim‐up fry. Over two spawning seasons, older brooders consistently produced larger sac fry (38–54% larger) and swim‐up fry (42–51% larger) than their younger counterparts. However, within‐spawn fry size variation was similar among all brooder ages measured. Regression modeling indicated that broodstock body mass did not influence fry body mass, whereas broodstock age was a significant predictor. These data reveal that brooder age is an important determinant of fry size and that initial fry body mass variation could be relevant to understanding fingerling size variation and may play a role in improving the production of ictalurid catfishes.

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The use of age and growth techniques to quantify the age structure of carryover hybrid catfish (female Channel Catfish × male Blue Catfish) in commercial ponds in West Alabama

Palmer,

James,

Sakaris

et al. 2024

N American J Aquac

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ObjectiveIn West Alabama, catfish Ictalurus spp. producers routinely face the challenge of fish that exceed market size (aka “Big Fish”) in their commercial ponds. These fish are skilled at evading seine nets during harvest and can increase in size significantly before subsequent harvests occur. This is problematic for catfish producers because processing plants prefer catfish within the 0.45–1.81‐kg range and farmers are paid a premium price for catfish of this size. Due to their larger size and growth potential, hybrid catfish (female Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus × male Blue Catfish I. furcatus) can become a more significant issue than Channel Catfish if they evade harvest. The objective of this study was to describe and quantify the age structure and growth rate of hybrid catfish that evade capture and remain in commercial ponds following harvest and grow beyond acceptable market size as defined by catfish processing plants (i.e., Big Fish).MethodsHybrid catfish were collected from 12 recently harvested commercial ponds in West Alabama from December 2021 to August 2022 using an electroshocking boat. Total length (mm), body weight (kg), and sex of collected fish were recorded, and lapilli otoliths were removed to estimate fish age and determine total length and total body weight at estimated ages.ResultIn this study, 1005 hybrid catfish were collected with the successful age estimation for 1001 catfish, ranging from 1 to 11 years. Results of this study indicate that hybrid catfish exceeded the premium size threshold in 2.72 years ± 8 months. Additionally, from age 2 to age 3, the average hybrid catfish gained 2.90 kg, growing from 0.40 to 3.30 kg. Growth rate was significantly affected by sex; males overall were predicted to weigh more than females based on the weight‐at‐age model.ConclusionHybrid catfish should be completely harvested from commercial ponds following 1 year of harvest to receive the premium price per kilogram of live fish. If a complete harvest is unsuccessful, farmers can receive a discounted price per kilogram of leftover hybrid catfish based on current market trends.

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Age Determination of Hybrid Catfish and Channel Catfish from Commercial Catfish Farms

Cited by 5 publications

References 17 publications

Factors affecting feed conversion ratios in US commercial catfish production ponds

Factors affecting feed conversion ratios in US commercial catfish production ponds

Effect of Brooder Age and Size on Fry Size Variation in Channel Catfish

The use of age and growth techniques to quantify the age structure of carryover hybrid catfish (female Channel Catfish × male Blue Catfish) in commercial ponds in West Alabama

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