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Pond Fertilization Does Not Affect Nutritional Value of Zooplankton in Channel Catfish Nursery Ponds
Author(s) -
Mischke Charles C.,
Li Menghe H.,
Zimba Paul V.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
north american journal of aquaculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.432
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1548-8454
pISSN - 1522-2055
DOI - 10.1577/c02-051
Subject(s) - zooplankton , catfish , human fertilization , biology , zoology , fishery , ictalurus , fish <actinopterygii> , agronomy
We determined the nutritional value of large zooplankton (500–1,000 μm) from fertilized and nonfertilized channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus nursery ponds. Proximate composition, amino acids, fatty acids, and assimilated algal pigments were statistically compared between pond groups. Analyses of vitamin and mineral composite samples of zooplankton from fertilized and nonfertilized ponds are presented. Treatment and control pond zooplankton were similar in nutritional value. Only two fatty acids (16:0 and 20:4[n‐6]) were significantly different ( P < 0.05) between fertilized and nonfertilized ponds, but total n‐3 and n‐6 highly unsaturated fatty acids were not different. The zooplankton in this study met or exceeded all nutritional requirements of channel catfish fry except that zooplankton in nonfertilized ponds appeared to contain less ‐than the required levels of pantothenic acid and vitamin B 6 . However, no statistical comparison of vitamins was made between fertilized and nonfertilized ponds. Because of the high nutritional value of zooplankton present in channel catfish nursery ponds, the importance of maintaining high densities of zooplankton is confirmed. If fertilization practices maintain large numbers of zooplankton, all fry nutritional requirements can be met through the natural biota. Supplemental feeding with prepared diets may still be necessary to ensure that sufficient food sources are available to the fry for optimum growth and survival.