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Optimizing Larval Fish Survival and Growth through an Analysis of Consumer and Resource Interactions in Percid Culture Ponds

Briland, Ruth
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1268153735

Abstract Details

2010, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology.
Management of aquaculture systems should be based on ecologically sound principles and experimentation to determine species- and site-specific management practices that both optimize fish production and extend our understanding. Herein, we exemplify an approach to meet this goal, evaluating the effectiveness of three common management levers: pond fertilization regimen, pond filling and stocking schedule, and fry stocking rate, on larval production of two popular percid fish, walleye (Sander vitreus) and saugeye (S. vitreus x S. canadense), at Senecaville State Fish Hatchery in Ohio. These levers are based on established ecological principles and hypotheses concerning fish recruitment, including resource-driven or “bottom-up” control, the match-mismatch hypothesis, and predator-driven or “top-down” control, respectively. Our experiments demonstrate that “top-down” effects (i.e., fish predation on zooplankton) drive fish growth, and we recommend that fry stocking density be reduced to les than 20 percid fry/m3 to yield suitable fish size at harvest. At higher stocking rates, percid planktivory can deplete zooplankton prey resources, resulting in poor fish growth and unacceptably small percid size at harvest. The other two management levers (i.e., manipulating fertilization rate and pond filling and stocking schedules) had little impact on percid production; however, these ecological management levers may be critical for successful fish production at other hatcheries, given different environmental conditions (e.g., source water productivity) or fish taxa. Overall, we illustrate an ecologically sound approach to assess management protocols for fish production in aquaculture settings that can be broadly applied to culture of many species at a variety of culture locations.
Stuart Ludsin, PhD (Advisor)
David Culver, PhD (Advisor)
Roy Stein, PhD (Committee Member)
114 p.
Aquaculture; Ecology; Fish Production; Freshwater Ecology
larval fish ecology; aqucuaculture; walleye; saugeye

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Briland, R. (2010). Optimizing Larval Fish Survival and Growth through an Analysis of Consumer and Resource Interactions in Percid Culture Ponds [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1268153735

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Briland, Ruth. Optimizing Larval Fish Survival and Growth through an Analysis of Consumer and Resource Interactions in Percid Culture Ponds. 2010. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1268153735.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Briland, Ruth. "Optimizing Larval Fish Survival and Growth through an Analysis of Consumer and Resource Interactions in Percid Culture Ponds." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1268153735

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1268153735
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© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.