Thursday, November 7, 2024
Fishery

The Ideal Fish for Farming

Much as aquaculture practices is becoming widely accepted in the country considering the rate of fish farm proliferation, there are stepwise technical and essential aspect of its establishment as well as management in order for the farm to survive.

Once the right approach is given beginning from the planning stage to during its establishment and to its running, then the little that will be left could be handling with the attention of an aquaculture expert around hence minimizing cost of production.

Although there is no “perfect” fish for farming, the following are desirable biological and economic attributes when selecting the best fish to farm. The fish species should:

1. Be capable of reproducing in captivity;

2. Produce numerous and hardy eggs and larvae (young);

3. Have well-known culture requirements;

4. Be adaptable to many types of culture systems;

5. Be adaptable to multi-species farming (polyculture);

6. Exhibit rapid growth to a large maximum size;

7. Readily adapt to artificial feeds;

8. Be tolerant of crowding and high density conditions;

9. Exhibit high survival (low mortality) rates;

10. Be easy to handle, harvest, and transport;

11. Be resistant to disease and parasite infestations;

12. Not be cannibalistic or territorial;

13. Be readily available as eggs, fingerlings, and adults;

14. Have a high market demand;

15. Exhibit high feed conversion rates;

16. Have good dress-out weight values;

17. Have a long shelf life;

18. Be easy to process;

19. Have a healthy appearance and color;

20. Have good eating qualities;

21. Have highly regarded fighting abilities;

22. Be catchable.

Table: Consumers Ratings and Availability of Fish Species for Production

The Ideal Fish for Farming
SpeciesConsumers acceptabilityAvailability of fish seeds for stockingFeeding habitsRemarks
Heterobranchu s bidorsalisgoodSeasonalOmnivorousRespond well to fertilizer and supplementary feeding
Distichodus engycephalusgoodseasonalHerbivorousThis species keeps aquatic weeds under control in pond
Malapterurus electricusgoodSeasonalPredatorGood species of combination with Tilapia polyculture
Maglops atlanticusGoodseasonalPredatorComes into pond with tides
Cyprinus carpioVery goodYear round and adequateOmnivorousRespond well to fertilizer and supplementary feeding
Ictalurus punctatusVery goodYear round and adequateFeeds mainly on in sects and craw-fishRespond well to fertilizer and supplementary feeding
Clarias gariepinusgoodYear round but in adequateOmnivorousRespond well to fertilizer and supplementary feeding
Oreochromis niloticusvery goodYear round and adequateOmnivorousRespond well to fertilizer and supplementary feeding
Source: Adapted from Ezenwa (1979)

Read Also: Fish Pond Preparation and Management

Read Also: How To Generate Money From Inorganic Wastes

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Benadine Nonye is an agricultural consultant and a writer with several years of professional experience in the agriculture industry. - National Diploma in Agricultural Technology - Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Science - Master's Degree in Science Education - PhD Student in Agricultural Economics and Environmental Policy... Visit My Websites On: 1. Agric4Profits.com - Your Comprehensive Practical Agricultural Knowledge and Farmer’s Guide Website! 2. WealthinWastes.com - For Effective Environmental Management through Proper Waste Management and Recycling Practices! Join Me On: Twitter: @benadinenonye - Instagram: benadinenonye - LinkedIn: benadinenonye - YouTube: Agric4Profits TV - Pinterest: BenadineNonye4u - Facebook: BenadineNonye

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