Presented at: Aquaculture America 2008, Feb. 10, Orlando, FL. Book of Abstracts, p. 439.
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An aquaculture demonstration project was conducted in Kentucky during the summer/fall of 2006. The ponds were located in Hopkins and Todd Counties. The study examined the feasibility of stocking juvenile paddlefish in low-input production ponds for freshwater shrimp. Three, 0.2-hectare shrimp ponds were stocked with 200 juvenile paddlefish (988 fish/hectare). Paddlefish were 15-20 cm long and weighed approximately 40 g each. Paddlefish were stocked on June 8, 2006. Shrimp were fed a 28% protein, pelleted sinking channel catfish feed. Juvenile paddlefish were allowed to graze the robust zooplankton populations that developed in fertilized, low-input shrimp ponds.

 

Ponds were harvested in September 2006. Paddlefish survival ranged from 10-61 %. Average individual weights and lengths of paddlefish harvested ranged from 261-413 g and 45-51 cm. The secchi disk measurement was greater than 60 cm at harvest in the pond where paddlefish survival was 10 %. Survival was highest (43 and 61 %) in ponds with secchi disk measurements that ranged from 30-35 cm just prior to harvest. The results of this demonstration suggest that paddlefish may provide a suitable supplemental crop for low-input shrimp farmers and a means to harvest zooplankton that otherwise would be lost when ponds are drained at harvest.

 

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