Fish Capacity of a Sand Pit by Zoobenthos of the Sura River Floodplain within Penza Region

Abstract

Sand pits have great potential in terms of domestic aquaculture development, therefore assessment of their natural fish capacity is essential in terms of food resources. The assessment of fish capacity by zoobenthos in a sand pit deprived of representatives of ichthyofauna was carried out. It was found out that zoobenthos of a sand pit in the flood plain of the Sura river has not rich species composition that varies considerably by seasons with multiple fluctuations of population number and biomass. At the same time the highest values were observed in June, the productivity of zoobenthos increases with increasing water temperature and decreasing water level. By the number of taxa, the number of population and biomass of fodder zoobenthos the sand pit is inferior to the Municipal water storage basin on the Sura river. Fish capacity of forage zoobenthos of the pit by zoobenthos was 14.42 kg/ha, which was 2-3 times lower than in Sursky and City reservoirs, the natural bed of the Sura river. Due to reclamation works in drained pits it is possible to increase the productivity of zoobenthos. In permanently watered pits the cultivation of benthic fishes is rather limited.