Fishery and Aquaculture of Juvenile Mudskipper Pseudapocryptes elongatus (Cuvier, 1816) in the Coastal Zone of Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Abstract

Mudskipper (Pseudapocryptes elongatus) has become a high value species (US$ 8 kg in June 2008) in the markets of Mekong Delta, Viet Nam. This leads to high pressure on its fishery and increasing interest on its aquaculture. An investigation was conducted on 40 juvenile fishermen and 72 mudskipper farmers in Soc Trang and Bac Lieu provinces of the Mekong Delta from May to December 2006. The P. elongatus juveniles fishing activity started in 2001 in the study areas. Collection of juveniles is conducted in spring tide periods from May to November. Juvenile collecting nets are set along the coast and interior river sites. The mesh size of net is 1 mm (body net) and 0.5 mm at cod end. Mean CPUE was 200,466 ind net in 6 months period. The juvenile catch is supplied to mudskipper farms, stocked at 16.2 ind m in semi-intensive and 95.7 ind m in intensive farms and fed local commercial feeds. Farming period is from May to December. Yields were 6.4 ton ha in intensive and 0.8 ton ha in semi-intensive farms. Production cost and net profit were US$ 8,696 ha and US$ 12,784 ha for intensive farms; and US$ 967 ha and US$ 1,039 ha for semi-intensive farms. Mudskipper aquaculture has potential for coastal aquaculture development and is an alternative to shrimp farming in the Mekong Delta. _________________________________________________ *Corresponding author. E-mail address: thminh@ctu.edu.vn 225 Asian Fisheries Science 23(2010):224-239