THE GROWTH, SURVIVAL, AND FEEDING BEHAVIOR OF REDFISH (Sciaenops ocellata) IN PONDS RECEIVING HEATED DISCHARGE WATER FROM A POWER PLANT

Abstract

ABSTRACTOne hundred young redfish (Sciaenops ocellata) were caught by hook and line fishing and stocked in two 0.1 ha ponds. The ponds, located near Baytown, Texas on the Galveston Bay complex, received heated discharge water from the Cedar Bayou Generating Station of the Houston Lighting and Power Company. Once established in the ponds, the fish were taught to eat Purina trout chow pellets. The ponds were drained periodically and redfish were counted, weighed, and measured. Eighty‐three fish were alive at the end of the study. Mean daily weight and length gain in the two ponds were 3.15 g and 2.69 g and 0.76 mm and 0.85 mm, respectively. Food conversion values ranged from 2.70 to 6.61. Mean KSL values ranged from 1.67 to 1.94.