Abstract
Abstract Low and variable survival rates have been observed for the fry of sunshine bass (female white bass Morone chrysops × male striped bass M. saxatilis) in rearing ponds despite adherence to the standard procedures used to stock fry of striped bass and palmetto bass (female striped bass × male white bass). A mismatch between sunshine bass fry and forage of suitable size is regarded as the primary cause of fry mortality. Mortality could also be due to direct predation on the fry by carnivorous copepods. To test the latter hypothesis, recently hatched sunshine bass fry were exposed to a concentration gradient of cyclopoid copepods (0, 5, 50, and 500 copepods/L) during a 24-h period. No significant differences in survival rates were found among the first three treatments, but fry suffered high mortality in the 500-copepod/L treatment. Adult copepods are observed at similarly high densities in culture ponds. Results were also used to test an empirical model that predicts predation rates on fish larvae by...
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call