Open AccessFirst Experiments on the Rearing of Tropical Carangidae in Floating Cages
Author(s) -
Aquacop
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
proceedings of the annual meeting ‐ world mariculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0164-0399
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-7345.1975.tb00024.x
Subject(s) - carangidae , flesh , fishery , zoology , fish <actinopterygii> , pellets , biology , captivity , fishing , cage , pellet , ecology , mathematics , paleontology , combinatorics
In order to determine the feasibility of fish culture in French Polynesia's lagoons, preliminary tests were performed in 1973 and 1974. Juveniles (7 to 10 g) of three Carangidae species (Caranx melampygus, C. elacate, C. ignobilis) were caught in the wild and transported to the laboratory; three lots were dispatched among two small tanks (500 liters) with 10 animals each and a floating cage (6 times 6 × 4 m; 1.5 cm mesh) with 900 animals. The range of water temperature was 25 to 27 C, salinity was about 34.5 ppt, and pH was 8.2. Food was given in the form of a moist pellet consisting of 80% dry powder mixed with fresh bonito flesh or troca flesh. Such a diet has a 40% protein content due essentially to fish meal (sun‐dried lagoon fish). These moist pellets were well accepted, but dry pellets were spat out. The time necessary to get a commercial size (300 g) in the tanks or in the floating cage was 6 to 8 months. Mortality rate was under 5%. The net of the floating cage was kept clean by a herbivorous fish (Siganus sp.) associated with Jack‐fish. Jack‐fish culture in lagoons seems promising because of its desirable meat, high market value, and rapid growth rate. Studies are being carried out to demonstrate the economic feasibility of such a culture by reducing the cost of feed and by obtaining reproduction in captivity.