An Evaluation of Vertically Suspended Environmental Enrichment Structures during Rainbow Trout Rearing

Abstract

AbstractEnvironmental enrichment is the addition of substrate or structural complexity to typically sterile culture environments, but the effects of enrichment on fish rearing performance are relatively unknown. This 127‐d study examined the growth and condition of juvenile Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss reared in near‐fully covered circular tanks (1.8 m diameter) with three novel environmental treatments: (1) eight vertically suspended nylon strings with seven colored (6.4 cm diameter) plastic spheres (high density), (2) five vertically suspended strings with seven colored plastic spheres (low density), and (3) a mixture of five vertically suspended colored plastic spheres and nine vertically suspended aluminum rods. Near‐fully covered tanks without enrichment were used as a control. Weight gain, feed conversion ratio, individual fish length, and fish weight were significantly improved in environmentally enriched tanks compared with those features in the unenriched control. Among all of the treatments, the tanks of fish with high‐density spheres had significantly higher ending tank weights (i.e., total weight of fish in tank) and weight gain, both of which were nearly 65% and 75% greater, respectively, than in the control tanks. However, high density spheres also interfered with the self‐cleaning nature of the circular tanks. No significant differences in splenosomatic indices, viscerosomatic indices, hepatosomatic indices, and relative fin lengths were observed among the three enrichment treatments. Based on the results of this study, the use of either low‐density spheres or a mix of rods and spheres is recommended during the rearing of juvenile Rainbow Trout in circular tanks.