Abstract
Asian red-tailed catfish (Hemibagrus wyckioides) were raised at five different stocking densities in cages (submerged and with a volume of 1 m3) suspended in a fish pond from July to August 2012. H. wyckioides fries (mean weight 0.8 ± 0.1 g) were stocked at densities of 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 fish/m3. At the end of 56 days, the mean fish weights among the stocking densities of 25 and 50 fish/m3 were significantly lower than those of the 100, 200, and 400 fish/m3 density. The specific growth rates and final mean weights amongst fish reared in higher stocking densities of 100, 200, and 200 fish/m3 were higher than those of the low stocking densities of 25 and 50 fish/m3. Asian river catfish performed poorly at the lowest density. The results indicate an initial lower stocking threshold for Asian red-tailed catfish fries of above 100 fish/m3. The Asian red-tailed catfish fries reared in small cages placed in a pond reached the size 5–6.6 g within a 56-day nursing period.
Highlights
Asian red-tailed catfish Hemibagrus wyckioides is an omnivorous freshwater fish which is commonly found within the Mekong River Basin (Prasertwattana et al 2005)
That H. wyckioides is popular in cage culture in the Mekong River Basin (Prasertwattana et al 2005), this has led to a high demand for H. wyckioides fingerlings for stocking in grow-out cages
Specific growth rates ranged from 3.02 ± 0.20 to 3.70 ± 0.02 %/day
Summary
Asian red-tailed catfish Hemibagrus wyckioides is an omnivorous freshwater fish which is commonly found within the Mekong River Basin (Prasertwattana et al 2005). The red-tailed catfish reared in several Asian countries are well accepted by consumers as food fish (Sahoo et al 2010). This species is the largest bagrid catfish in Asia and can reach 80 kg in the wild (Ng and Rainboth 1999). Stocking density plays a crucial role in determining the growth and survival, and the fish or seed production, in an intensive system (Sahoo et al 2010).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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
