Overwintering Yellow Perch Fry in Alabama

Abstract

Wild harvests of yellow perch Perca flavescens have failed to keep up with the strong market demand for the fish. Moreover, yellow perch has many attributes that make it attractive for commercial aquaculture in the USA. One drawback to yellow perch culture in the north-central region of the United States is that low winter water temperatures inhibit somatic growth. In this study, yellow perch juveniles were stocked at three densities (30, 60, and 90 per tank) in 600-L tanks in Auburn, Alabama, in early January and maintained throughout the winter until mid-April. Water in the tanks was circulated through an earthen pond and returned to the research system by means of a water pump. Tanks were aerated by means of submersible air diffusers and a regenerative air blower. Fish were offered a commercial, slow-sinking feed at 5% of body weight, and temperature was measured hourly by a remote data logger. Survival was greater than 99% in all treatments. When water temperature was below 20°C, absolute growth was 0.06, 0.05, and 0.04 g/d for the low-, medium-, and high-stocking density treatments, respectively. When water temperature was above 20°C, absolute growth was 0.58, 0.48, and 0.46 g/d for the low-, medium-, and high-stocking density treatments, respectively. Yellow perch juveniles survived well and grew well in Alabama during fall and spring seasons when temperatures were above 20°C.