Tank experiments on the culture of pan-size sockeye ( Oncorhynchus nerka) and pink salmon ( O. gorbuscha) using environmental control

Abstract

Experimentally, sockeye and pink salmon can be grown from a weight of 4 g to pan size at 230 g (8 oz) in at least 280 days; the fish were held at 15°C in salt water (10 and 28‰) on a photoperiod that increased from 15 to 18 h light/day. Growth rates of wild sockeye smolts were inferior to those of younger cultured sockeye when compared at the same size. Maximum growth rates were obtained with pink salmon fry (mean weight, 5.5 g), which grew at 4.5% body weight/day. A provisional table of growth rates for sockeye salmon is presented; it can be used to predict the expected weight (up to 500 g) for any temperature, time and starting size when on excess ration.