对虾池的放养密度对浮游生物群落的影响

于１９９８年７￣９月在山东海阳养虾场运用陆基围隔实验生态学方法,研究了对虾与罗非鱼在五种放养密度下浮游生物群落的变动情况。结果表明;可能浮游动物的摄食对浮游植物产生影响,二者数量的消长在大多数围隔都呈负相关;纤毛虫的数量与浮游植物的总生物量呈负相关;随着养殖密度的增加,浮游植物生物量减少,而浮游动物却有所增加,前者的优势类群由硅藻变为甲藻、蓝藻和隐藻。后者的在组成中镖水蚤数量减少而剑水蚤、无节幼体、轮虫和原生动物等小型种类有所增加;纤毛虫在高密度围隔中大量繁殖,说明水质已逐渐恶化。     

Effects of zooplankton refuge on the growth of tilapia (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oreochromis niloticus</Emphasis>) and plankton dynamics in pond

Effects of zooplankton refuge on the growth of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and plankton dynamics in pond were assessed by using 12 land-based experimental enclosures (7 m× 4 m) in a saline–alkaline pond. There were 4 treatments resulting from a combination of 2 stocking densities of tilapia (5 and 10 kg per enclosure) and 2 enclosure types (refuge and nonrefuge). Each treatment had three replicates. In the enclosures with refuge, all fish were excluded from a water column ¼ of the enclosure’s size with a polyethylene net (1.5 cm mesh size). Our field experiment showed that the individual gain in weight of tilapia increased 6.4 times with refuge treatment at the stocking density of 5 kg per enclosure than that in nonrefuge treatment. But at the stocking density of 10 kg per enclosure, the individual fish weight in all enclosures decreased due to the excessive density of fish stocking. Our results also showed that the refuge significantly increased the rotifer biomass and phytoplankton diversity and decreased the phytoplankton biomass (P < 0.05), but the copepod biomass was not affected by the refuge.     

The impact of net-isolated polyculture of tilapia (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oreochromis niloticus</Emphasis>) on plankton community in saline–alkaline pond of shrimp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Penaeus vannamei</Emphasis>)

We used 12 land-based experimental enclosures (6 m × 5 m) in a saline–alkaline pond of shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) to determine the impact of net-isolated polyculture of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) on plankton communities for 40 days. Tilapias were stocked in net cages suspended in enclosures, in polyculture ponds including tilapia and shrimp. Four tilapia biomass were tested: 0, 39, 115 and 227 g m⁻². Shrimp stocking biomass were 0.7 g m⁻² in all treatments. There were three replicates in each treatment. Our results showed that the presence of tilapia significantly reduced phytoplankton biomass directly through predation and indirectly through top-down effect. The stocking of tilapia reduced zooplankton biomass, particularly rotifer biomass. However, copepod biomass was not been significantly affected. So, net-isolated polyculture of tilapia can thus have a strong impact on phytoplankton allowing the co-existence of large numbers of copepods with planktivorous fish and improving the water quality of shrimp ponds.     

Water quality and plankton densities in mixed shrimp-mangrove forestry farming systems in Vietnam

Water quality and plankton densities were monitored in shrimp ponds at 12 mixed shrimp‐mangrove forestry farms in Ca Mau province, southern Vietnam, to detail basic water chemistry and assess whether conditions are suitable for shrimp culture. In general, water quality was not optimal for shrimp culture. In particular, ponds were shallow (mean ± 1SE, 50.5 ± 2.8 cm), acidic (pH < 6.5), had high suspended solids (0.3 ± 0.03 g l^?1), low chlorophyll a/phytoplankton concentrations (0.2 ± 0.05 µg l^?1 and 8600 ± 800 cells l^?1 respectively) and low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels (3.7 ± 0.15 mg l^?1). Eight out of the 12 farms sampled had potentially acid sulphate soils (pH < 4.2). Salinity, DO and pH were highly variable over short time‐periods (hours); DO in particular was reduced to potentially lethal levels (1–2 mg l^?1). Seasonal variations in water chemistry and plankton communities (i.e. salinity, DO, phosphate, temperature, phytoplankton and zooplankton densities) appear to be driven by differences in rainfall patterns. The presence or absence of mangroves on internal pond levees (‘mixed’ versus ‘separate’ farms) and the source of pond water (rivers versus canals) were of lesser importance in determining water quality patterns and plankton biomass. Zooplankton and macrobenthos densities were sufficient to support the current (low) stocking densities of shrimp. However, natural food sources are not adequate to support increases in production by stocking hatchery reared post larvae. Increasing productivity by fertilization and/or supplemental feeding has the potential for adverse water quality and would require improvements to water management practices. Some practical strategies for improving water quality and plankton densities are outlined.     

Evidence for Control of Water Quality in Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus Ponds by Phytoplankton Biomass and Sediment Oxygenation

A data set describing annual variation of water quality in ten commercial channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus ponds was subjected to exploratory statistical analysis to infer ecological processes affecting pond water quality. Two factors explained 67% of the variation in concentrations of water quality variables. The first factor (Factor 1) explained 49% of the variance and was associated with a large negative loading by total ammonia-nitrogen and large positive loadings by total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand, and chlorophyll a . Factor 1 was interpreted with respect to factor loadings to represent the effect of phytoplankton biomass. The second factor (Factor 2) explained an additional 18% of the variance and was associated with a large negative loading by soluble reactive phosphorus and large positive loadings by nitrite-nitrogen and, to a lesser extent, nitrate-nitrogen. Factor 2 was interpreted to be related to variation in pond sediment oxygenation. Although factor analysis indicated the overwhelming effect of phytoplankton biomass on water quality, opportunities for management of phytoplankton communities in large commercial aqua-culture ponds are limited. However, maintenance of an oxidized sediment-water interface may improve water quality by limiting the diffusion of reductant-soluble phosphorus from sediment to water and increasing sediment nitrification rates.     

Disinfection, Microbial Community Establishment and Shrimp Production in a Prototype Biosecure Pond

Plankton community establishment and shrimp production in a prototype biosecure pond were compared to three control ponds. The biosecure pond was enclosed and intake water was disinfected, while control ponds were neither enclosed nor disinfected. All ponds were managed with no water exchange and stocked with 100 postlarvae/m², Litopenaeus vannamei . Residual oxidant concentrations in the biosecure pond dropped rapidly after cessation of chlorinated water addition. This was followed by a sharp increase in water column bacterial abundance, after which the pond was fertilized and inoculated with cultured Chaetocerous gracilis . After crash of the initial C. gracilis bloom in the biosecure pond, this species was not observed again. Following initial large fluctuations in biosecure pond bacterial abundance, phytoplankton biomass, oxygen consumption and nitrification rates, these parameters appeared to stabilize at levels similar to the control ponds. Early season compositional differences in phytoplankton, zooplankton, and bacterial communities were observed. No differences were seen in late-season phytoplankton and bacteria; however, zooplankton biomass tended to be lower in the biosecure pond than in the control ponds throughout the season. Shrimp production in all ponds was greater than 9,000 kg/ha. Production in the single biosecure pond was not a significant outlier compared to production in the triplicate control ponds.     

Phytoplankton biomass and environmental factors over a gradient of clear to turbid peri‐urban ponds

• 1. Small lakes and ponds with high nutrient loadings can be clear, turbid or intermediate, with low, high and intermediate phytoplankton biomass, respectively.
• 2. A combination of biotic and abiotic factors, such as hydraulic retention time, presence of submerged vegetation, depth, top‐down phytoplankton control, and cascading effects of fish community structure, play an important role in phytoplankton biomass control when nutrients are not limiting. Different combinations of these factors lead to different levels of phytoplankton biomass.
• 3. Identification of the main factors controlling phytoplankton biomass in a particular pond or a small lake is essential for choosing an appropriate management strategy for the maintenance of a desired ecosystem state.
• 4. When a pond or a small lake ecosystem is impaired by eutrophication, a considerable degree of its ecological quality can be restored through the modification of some environmental factors when a sufficient reduction in nutrient input is not feasible.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Food inputs, water quality and nutrient accumulation in integrated pond systems: A multivariate approach

A participatory on-farm study was conducted to explore the effects of food input patterns on water quality and sediment nutrient accumulation in ponds, and to identify different types of integrated pond systems. Ten integrated agriculture-aquaculture (IAA) farms, in which ponds associate with fruit orchards, livestock and rice fields were monitored in the Mekong delta of Vietnam. Pond mass balances for nitrogen (N), organic carbon (OC) and phosphorus (P) were determined, and pond water quality and sediment nutrient accumulation were monitored. Data were analyzed using multivariate canonical correlation analysis, cluster analysis and discriminant analysis. The main variability in pond water quality and sediment nutrients was related with food inputs and water exchange rates. Water exchange rate, agro-ecological factors, pond physical properties and human waste input were major variables used to classify ponds. Classification was into: (1) low water exchange rate ponds in the fruit-dominated area, (2) low water exchange rate ponds in the rice-dominated area receiving homemade feed, and (3) high water exchange rate ponds in the rice-dominated areas receiving wastes. Pond water exchange rate was human-controlled and a function of food input patterns, which were determined by livelihood strategies of IAA-households. In the rice-dominated area with deep ponds, higher livestock and human wastes were found together with high water exchange rates. In these ponds, large organic matter loads reduced dissolved oxygen and increased total phosphorus concentrations in the water and increased nutrient (N, OC and P) accumulation in the sediments. In the rice-dominated area with wide ponds, higher homemade feed amounts were added to the ponds with low water exchange rate. This resulted in high phytoplankton biomass and high primary productivity. The contrary occurred in the fruit-dominated area, where fish were grown in shallow and narrow ponds, receiving more plant residue which resulted in lower phytoplankton biomass and lower sediment nutrient accumulation.     

Isolation Columns as an Alternative to Replicate Ponds in Aquaculture Research

The use of open-ended isolation columns (20 m³) as replicable experimental units was evaluated in two Alabama Piedmont ponds. Isolated columns of water differed limnologically from conditions present in the open ponds. Most of these differences were attributed to open pond sites having significantly higher phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll-a). However, comparison of pond and column variances indicated that samples collected in columns were generally no more indicated that samples collected in columns were generally no more variable than similar samples collected from the pond that surrounded them. Isolation columns could be used as an alternative to replicate ponds for certain types of short-term, pond culture studies.     

复合养殖系统中浮游植物群落结构及其与水环境因子的关系

本研究以主养团头鲂搭配少量鲢鳙鱼的人工湿地-池塘复合养殖系统为研究对象,在人工湿地运行期间调查了该复合养殖系统池塘中浮游植物的生态特征,并分析了浮游植物的群落结构与水环境因子间的关系。结果表明：复合养殖池塘中共鉴定出浮游植物8门91种,其中绿藻种类最多,而蓝藻在数量上占据了绝对的优势。人工湿地运行期间养殖池塘中浮游植物的种类、数量、生物量无显著变化,数量和生物量的平均值分别为3.04×108cells/L,7.14×106mg/L,主要优势种有双对栅藻、四足十字藻、苇氏藻、微小平裂藻、点形粘球藻、泥污颤藻、优美平裂藻、微小色球藻、为首螺旋藻、不定微囊藻;池塘的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数为2.77~3.27,Margalef多样性指数为2.75~3.18,Pielou均匀性指数为0.45~0.55。同时将浮游植物种类丰度与水环境因子进行冗余分析(RDA),结果表明：池塘中绿藻主要受温度、溶氧、pH的影响,而蓝藻主要受pH和氨氮的影响。     

Compensatory Growth of Pond-reared Hybrid Striped Bass, Morone chrysops × Morone saxatilis, Fingerlings

Compensatory growth (CG) or “catch‐up growth” is a period of super‐accelerated growth following a period of suboptimal conditions (i.e., lack of prey availability or overwintering). Little is known about the CG response in pond‐raised fish and whether hybrid striped bass (HSB), Morone chrysops × Morone saxatilis, might exhibit the rapid growth states or improvements in other production characteristics that may accompany the response. To evaluate the potential for CG in HSB culture, a 16‐wk growth trial in twelve 0.1‐ha earthen ponds was conducted. Approximately 2850 fish (mean weight ± SD = 3.2 g ± 1.1) were stocked into ponds and subjected to one of four cyclic feeding regimens. Treatment regimens included a control (0 wk, fed twice daily to apparent satiation) and cycles of 1, 2, or 4 wk of feed deprivation, followed by 1, 2, or 4 wk of feeding to apparent satiation. Fish in the 4‐wk feeding regimen were offered feed twice during the feed‐deprivation period (once every other week). Growth, specific growth rate (SGR), hepatosomatic index (HSI), intraperitoneal fat ratio, and condition factor (CF) were measured every other week, while overall growth, feed efficiency (FE) (FE = [weight gain/feed fed] × 100), and survival were calculated at the trial termination. The effect of these feeding regimens on water quality was examined by monitoring pH, turbidity, total ammonia nitrogen, nitrite–nitrogen, nitrate–nitrogen, soluble reactive phosphorus, and chlorophyll a weekly; total nitrogen and phosphorous biweekly; and dissolved oxygen and temperature twice daily. Cyclic feeding elicited CG; fish subjected to the 2‐wk regimen had a significantly higher SGR than 0‐wk controls during all but the final refeeding period. FE was higher for all fish in the cyclic regimens, although only FE for fish in the 2‐wk regimen was statistically greater (40%) than the controls. HSI was the most responsive measure and significantly decreased in the 2‐ and 4‐wk treatments during feed‐deprivation period and overcompensated during the refeeding period. CF also varied with feeding cycle and proved to be an effective nonlethal measure of predicting a CG response. No statistical differences in water quality parameters were observed. These data suggest that CG can be effectively induced in pond‐raised HSB and that the increase in FE warrants further research for practical application. Future pond studies with fingerling HSB fish should be conducted with emphasis on feed‐deprivation periods of 2 wk and refeeding periods of at least twice that of the feed‐deprivation period.     

鱼蚌混养对池塘水质、藻相结构及三角帆蚌生长的影响

2012年4月26日—2012年12月12日通过在鲢鳙鱼养殖池塘中放养不同密度的三角帆蚌,研究不同三角帆蚌放养比例对鲢鳙鱼养殖池塘中水质、藻相结构及三角帆蚌生长的影响。实验中,鲢鳙放养比例统一为3∶7,总密度为1.5尾/m3。三角帆蚌放养密度则设置4个水平,分别为单养鲢鳙鱼池塘(0只/m3),低密度三角帆蚌混养池塘(0.8只/m3),中密度三角帆蚌混养池塘(1.0只/m3)和高密度三角帆蚌混养池塘(1.2只/m3)。结果显示,混养三角帆蚌池塘的水化指标(TP、PO4-P、NH3-N、NO2-N和NO3-N)均显著低于单养鱼池塘。中密度三角帆蚌混养池塘除NH3-N和化学需氧量(COD)与低密度三角帆蚌混养池塘无显著差异外,其他各项水化指标均显著低于其他3个池塘,并且极显著低于单养鲢鳙鱼池塘。单养鲢鳙鱼池塘藻类平均密度均极显著高于鱼蚌混养池塘,其中在鱼蚌混养池塘中浮游植物密度与三角帆蚌密度成负相关关系。单养鲢鳙鱼池塘的浮游植物生物量均极显著低于中、高密度鱼蚌混养池塘,并且显著低于低密度混养池塘。浮游植物生物量与三角帆蚌密度成正相关关系,鱼蚌池塘中绿藻和裸藻的生物量在养殖过程中上升显著。低、中密度三角帆蚌混养池塘三角帆蚌存活率均显著高于高密度三角帆蚌混养池塘;低密度混养池塘中蚌湿重、壳长及壳宽相对增长率均为最大,显著高于中、高密度三角帆蚌混养池塘。研究表明,养鱼池塘混养三角帆蚌不仅能改善养殖池塘的水质,还能控制藻类数量,促使绿藻和裸藻等大型藻类的生长,提高养殖水体浮游植物的生物量总量,最终还能有效提高三角帆蚌的存活率及生长率。从改善水质,藻相结构,蚌成活率及生长等指标角度考虑,在鲢鳙鱼养殖池塘中,三角帆蚌最佳放养密度为1.0只/m3。     

Growth Trial with the American Oyster Crassostrea virginica Using Shrimp Pond Water as Feed

This study was conducted to quantify the potential of Crassostrea virginica biculture using marine shrimp pond water. It was envisioned that this biculhre could avoid cost and reliability problems associated with the mass production of algae as oyster feed. Such problems contributed to the failure of previous attempts to commercialize oyster culture.
Oysters were reared in each of two flow through 310 L tanks receiving shrimp pond water from selected commercial semi-intensive shrimp ponds. In each tank, pond water was delivered to the upper trays and flowed downward through each of two seven tray stacks. For both tanks, mean oyster growth rate (2 g/wk) and survival (79%) from seed (0.04 g) to market size (55.0 g) compared favorably with previous reports and for the first time approximated the growth projected in a 1968 engineering study by American Cyanamid (Calbo et al. 1968).
Oyster growth within and between tanks indicated a relationship between biomass and exchange rates. During a 65 d controlled monitoring period mean oyster growth rates of 3.7 g/wk were achieved in upper trays of both tanks. Data are provided to estimate optimum pond water flow rate and oyster biomass relationships. The prospects for shrimp and bivalve co-culture appear promising.     

不同施肥方法对鱼蚌综合养殖池塘浮游植物群落结构的影响

通过155 d围隔实验检验了不同施肥条件下鱼蚌综合养殖水体中的浮游植物群落结构。实验设3个处理:施鸭粪、施化肥、兼施鸭粪和化肥。放养种类为三角帆蚌、草鱼、鲫、鲢和鳙,放养量分别为每围隔20、15、5、5和5个。结果发现,围隔内浮游植物生物量平均值为(2.1~6.0)×108个/L。不同施肥方法对浮游植物种类组成和优势种、叶绿素a(Chl.a)、生物量以及蓝藻在浮游植物生物量中的比例无显著影响。浮游植物群落变化表现出较明显的季节性特点,影响围隔浮游植物群落的理化因子为TN、NH3-N和DO。研究表明,采用不同施肥方法的围隔内浮游植物群落结构未表现出显著差异,难以从浮游植物角度解释兼施鸭粪和化肥的围隔珍珠产量高于施鸭粪或施化肥的围隔的事实,也难以确定珍珠产量与浮游植物群落结构之间存在必然的联系。     

Effects of habitat and internal prey subsidies on juvenile coho salmon growth: implications for stream productive capacity

Abstract –  To evaluate the effects of habitat, foraging strategy (drift vs. limnetic feeding) and internal prey subsidies (downstream transport of invertebrate drift between habitats) on fish production, we measured the growth of juvenile coho salmon confined to enclosures in flowing (pond inlets and outlets) or standing water (centre of pond) habitats in a constructed river side-channel. The effects of habitat and foraging strategy on fish growth were mediated primarily through habitat effects on prey abundance. Invertebrate drift biomass was nearly an order of magnitude higher at pond inlets relative to outlets. Drift-feeding coho in inlet enclosures grew 50% faster than drift-feeding coho at pond outlets or limnetic feeding coho in the centre of ponds, suggesting that elevated drift at inlets was sufficient to account for higher inlet growth rates. Forty per cent of prey biomass in stomachs was terrestrial in origin. These results indicate that, in addition to dependence on external terrestrial subsidies, streams with alternating slow and fast water (i.e., pool-riffle) sequences are also characterised by internal prey subsidies based on transport of drifting invertebrates from refuge habitats (high velocity riffles) to habitats more suitable for drift-feeding predators (e.g., pools), which may result in higher maximum fish growth in systems where internal subsidises are large. Restoration of small streams to maximise productive capacity for pool-rearing salmonids will require a better understanding of the length and interspersion of habitats that maximises both internal prey subsidies and available rearing habitat for juvenile salmon.     

珠江三角洲地区精养淡水鱼塘浮游植物功能群特征

分别于养殖前期(5月)、中期(9月)和后期(12月),对珠江三角洲地区主养草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idellus)、大口黑鲈(Micropterus salmoides)、云斑尖塘鳢(Oxyeleotris marmoratus)和乌鳢(Channa argus)4个品种池塘中的浮游植物功能群进行研究。结果表明,采样池塘浮游植物丰度、物种多样性指数较高,密度均值达1.32×10~8 cell/L,最大值为3.00×10~8 cell/L,生物量均值为168.17 mg/L,最大值为345.41 mg/L;共鉴定到196种(含变种变型)藻类,分属于绿藻(91种)、裸藻(40种)、硅藻(27种)、蓝藻(23种)、甲藻(7种)、隐藻(4种)、黄藻(3种)、金藻(1种)等8大藻门;采样池塘藻类可划分出A、B、C、D、F、G、G_2、H1、J、K、L_1、L_M、L_0、M、MP、N、P、S1、S2、T、T_D、W1、W2、W_S、X1、X2、X_(Ph)、Y等28个功能群;频率分析发现C、F、J、MP、N、P、W1、X2、Y、K、L0、M、W2等主要优势功能群在精养池塘中出现频率高,生物量比重大,说明池塘浮游植物群落稳定,整个养殖过程水体的生态功能比较单一;对环境因子与主要优势功能群进行冗余分析(RDA),得到池塘浮游植物功能群分布状况的首要影响因素是有机质含量(COD_(Mn)),其次为营养物质含量水平(TP和N:P),最后为水体物理环境,包括透明度(SD)、pH、溶解氧(DO)、总可溶性固体(TDS)和水温(WT)。研究发现,池塘水体浮游植物功能群数养殖中期多于前期和末期,并在养殖中期水体交换量大的大口黑鲈和云斑尖塘鳢池塘较为突出,表明在高密度精养池塘中,进行充足的水体交换是高温时期防控水质恶化的重要措施。基于传统的物种多样性指数方法,判定池塘水质状况为洁净,但以浮游植物功能群生境特征判定水体污染严重,且与水体理化环境测定结果和现场水体表观相符,说明功能群比多样性指数能更好地反应池塘水质的真实状况。     

富藻养殖水体中金鱼藻和篦齿眼子菜的抑藻效果研究

夏季高温时,养殖水体水华现象频繁发生,给养殖业带来巨大的损失。常见水生植物释放的活性物质在低浓度下可以起到抑藻作用,对藻类调控具有重要意义。本研究采用实验室静态模拟方法,取养殖池塘暴发蓝藻水华的水体,与沉水植物金鱼藻(Ceratophyllum demersum)及篦齿眼子菜(Potamogeton pectinatus)进行共培养,研究这2种沉水植物对养殖水华水体营养水平、藻类生长、藻类结构及浮游藻类生物多样性的影响。结果显示,金鱼藻和篦齿眼子菜可显著降低水华水体氮、磷等营养水平(P<0.05);金鱼藻和篦齿眼子菜可有效抑制水华蓝藻(Cyanobacteria)生长,尤其对颤藻和微囊藻(Microcystis sp.)效果显著(P<0.05),且篦齿眼子菜对水华蓝藻抑制效果更为显著。实验结束时,篦齿眼子菜培养组藻密度下降93.6%,生物量下降98.9%,叶绿素a含量下降60.5%;金鱼藻培养组藻密度下降72.5%,生物量下降86.8%,叶绿素a含量下降54.3%;金鱼藻和篦齿眼子菜的存在可促进养殖水体浮游藻类生物多样性增加,且金鱼藻提高浮游藻类生物多样性效果更显著。金鱼藻培养组浮游藻类生物多样性升高98.4%,篦齿眼子菜培养组浮游藻类生物多样性升高50.3%。本研究结果可为未来生态养殖提供理论依据和参考。     

Delayed Feeding of Channel Catfish Fry Stocked in Ponds

We compared production variables between channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, nursery ponds fed according to industry standards, that is feeding immediately at stocking, to an alternative practice of delaying feeding for 6 wk after stocking in an effort to utilize natural pond productivity and reduce feed use. Twelve 0.04 ha ponds were fertilized and stocked with swim‐up fry (4–5 d posthatch) at a rate of 10,000/pond (250,000/ha). Ponds were then randomly assigned to either the standard feeding protocol (feeding daily starting immediately at stocking) or an alternative feeding protocol (no feeding until 6 wk post‐stocking). After 18 wk of production, there were no differences in water quality or zooplankton abundance between the two treatments. Fish length was not affected by treatment throughout the study, and survival and total weight harvested were similar. Total kg of feed fed was significantly reduced in the delayed feed treatment, averaging 26 kg/pond less feed fed. If proper fertilization practices are implemented, large numbers of desirable zooplankton for catfish fry culture are attained, and these zooplankton are able to sustain catfish fry stocked up to 250,000/ha. Therefore, no commercial diets are required during the first 6 wk of culture, saving over $95.55/ha in initial feed costs.     

Water Quality and Plankton Communities in Hybrid Catfish (♀ Channel Catfish,Ictalurus punctatus × ♂ Blue Catfish,Ictalurus furcatus) Ponds After Partial Fish Harvest

Twelve 0.4‐ha ponds were stocked with 10,000 hybrid catfish fingerlings in March 2015. Six ponds were partially harvested in August to remove fish larger than ～0.57 kg. All remaining fish were removed in October and November. Partial harvest of faster‐growing fish removed ～26% of the fish initially stocked; feeding rate (and therefore external nutrient loading) was reduced by about the same amount. However, reduced nutrient loading after partial fish harvest had no meaningful effects on water quality, phytoplankton biomass, phytoplankton and zooplankton community structure, or supplemental aeration. Lack of ecosystem change was caused by persistent internal recycling of nutrients added to the system before partial harvest and continued high (albeit reduced) external nutrient loading after partial harvest. Decisions to employ partial fish harvest to manage single‐cropped hybrid catfish ponds should be based on economic considerations and risk reduction rather than the expectation that fish biomass reduction will improve water quality.     

Effect of habitat type on growth and diet of brown trout, Salmo trutta L., in stream enclosures

The effect of habitat on the growth and diet of brown trout, Salmo trutta L., stocked at the same densities in nine stream enclosures, comprising three habitat types of different quality, were tested. The habitats, which were created based on microhabitat preference data, were a shallow water habitat lacking cobbles (habitat 1), a deeper, mixed cobble-bottomed (128-384 mm diameter) habitat (habitat 2) and a large cobble-bottomed (256-384 mm) habitat of intermediate depth (habitat 3). Brown trout were found to have greater increases in total biomass in habitats 2 and 3 than in habitat 1. The pattern for length did not follow that of biomass as trout had greater increases in total length in habitat 2 than in the other two habitats. Biomass of food in trout diets reflected habitat-specific fish biomass changes, with a greater total biomass of prey as well a greater biomass of the leech, Erpobdella, in habitats 2 and 3 than in habitat 1. There were no habitat-specific differences in the biomass of benthic or drifting invertebrates in the enclosures, with the exception of a tendency for an effect of habitat on the biomass of Erpobdella. Although there may have been habitat-specific differences in food resources that were not detected, it is believed that the higher biomass growth in habitats 2 and 3 may have reflected differences in cover afforded by the deeper water and coarser substrates and/or improved foraging opportunities facilitated by the larger volumes of water in the deeper habitats in which the trout could search for prey.