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The White Amur as a Biological Control Agent of Aquatic Weeds in the Panama Canal
Author(s) -
Custer Phillip E.,
Halverson Francis D.,
Malone Jim,
Von Chong Cesar
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1548-8446
pISSN - 0363-2415
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8446(1978)003<0002:twaaab>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - panama , white (mutation) , panama canal , fishery , geography , biology , ecology , environmental science , water resource management , biochemistry , gene
The Panama Canal has been plagued with both floating and submerged aquatic weeds since its opening. Although more and more money has been spent on herbicides over the years, the weed problem has become more intense. In February 1978 the Panama Canal Company introduced the white amur fish as a biological tool to control the submerged macrophyte hydrilla to Gatun Lake, the large freshwater reservoir through which the majority of the length of the Canal passes. The first shipment of fish (125,000) did not successfully withstand the rapid change from cold Arkansas water temperatures to the warm tropical waters, with a resultant loss of about 50 percent. A series of tests was conducted to determine tempering rates of the fish with temperature, dissolved oxygen level, and time as the variables. Various experiments with chemical additives in the tempering water such as salt and quinaldine were also conducted. Based upon the tests, a tempering facility to acclimate a second fish shipment was constructed that circulated chilled lake water through a large fish‐holding tank for a period of two days, during which time the temperature was gradually elevated and salt and disinfectants were added to the water. After tempering, the fish were successfully implanted in isolated arms of the Lake, a helicopter being used for transportation.