Habituation Performance of Two Percids Under Turbid and Clear Water Culture

Abstract

Advanced walleye (Sander vitreus) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) fingerlings are produced by habituating pond-reared fingerlings to commercial feed. Success of the habituation phase depends on many variables. Among these, diet contrast/visibility is an important variable for habituation success. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of turbid water (≥100 nephelometric turbidity unit, NTU) and clear water culture conditions during the habituation phase for these two species. In 2005, 12 150 L black-cuboidal tanks with in-tank lighting were stocked at a rate of 2 g/L age 0 of either walleye or yellow perch fingerlings with half of the tanks receiving turbidity (clay slurry) and cultured for 28 d. All fish were fed a commercial diet every 5 min during a 16 h daylight interval at 10% body weight/d. Walleye in the clear treatment had higher survival (83 ± 2.0%) than the turbid treatment (57 ± 6.0%). The yellow perch exhibited opposite survival results: turbid treatment rates at 79 ± 2.1% and clear treatment rates at 54 ± 9.2%. These results demonstrate that the addition of clay may enhance the contrast of the feed and thus improve the habituation phase for yellow perch.