Growth and Production of the Balsas Catfish, Ictalurus ... - UAEM

Growth and Production of the Balsas Catfish, Ictalurus
balsanus Jordan Snyder, 1899, (Pisces: Ictaluridae), in
Earthen Ponds
Granados-Ramírez, José G. / Arredondo-Figueroa, José L./
Ponce-Palafox, Jesús T.
Title I::.::ue ~r,i.:::e
Title Joumal of Aquaculture in the Tropics
ISSN 09700846
Volume vol.17 no.2
Page 127-134
Published on 2003. 1.23
SWETS ID 45893357

GROWTH ANO PRODUCTION OF THE BALSAS
CATFISH, ICTALURUS BALSANUS JORDAN &
SNYDER, 1899, (PISCES: ICTALURIDAE), IN
EARTHEN PONDS
JOSE G. GRAtiADOS-RAMIREl, 1 JOSE L. ARREDONDO-
FIGUEROA 2 ena JESUS T. PONCE-PALAFOX 3
1FaaJIlad de Ciencias aioIóQiras Uriversidad AlJiónoma del Estado de Morelos. Méx/w.
PO. Box 584 Cuemav-aec. l.IoreIos. Méxia:J 62001.
lPlanta Experimenta! de ProciJccióo Act.Ji

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Jooma1 01Aquaculture in the Tropics May 2002 129
dissolved oxygen (YSI 57 oxygen meter), pH (Coming M·106 pH meter),
conduclivity (Conductivimeter YSI 33), Secchi visibility and total dissolved
solids were measured once a month according to Boyd (1996). Daily
water exchange was adjusted to maintain Secchi visibility above 30 cm
and measured with a meter in the experimental pond. Water quality data
representa only lhe surface water.
Fish were fed at 6% of lheir metabolic weightlday with catfish cornmercial
food (Silver cup), made in Mexico by El Pedregal Foods Cornpany
(38% protein, 21.4% lipid, 20.95% carbohydrate, 1.84% fibre, 11.58%
ash contenl in a pellet size ot 9.3 mm). Quantity 01 rooc was readjusted'
every 2 weeks based on a growth rate estimáte. Cat1ishwere fed 6 days
a week, dürin~ the moming (0.8:00 h) and the evening (18:00 h).
The w = aL lunction was used to obiain the weight and length retatíonship
(Weatherley I 1972). Physico-chemical data, total lenglh and total
tresh weight were submitted to statistical descriptive and Box plot statistical
analysis using the STATISTICA version 5.0 package (1997).
RESULTS
Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, totai dissolved solids and conductivity
parameters were measured frcm March 1994 lb February 1995
(Fig. 1). The data indicates that, during this period pH values ranged
between 7.6 to 9.0; dissolvad oxygen 4.3 to 5.8 mgll; total dissolved
solids 476 to 600 mgil, and conductivity from 560 to 800 umbos/cm. The
water temperature and pH were the most stable parameters alon9 the
growth periodo Total dissolved solid andconductivity showed seasonal
fluctuations in relation to the availability ot water source. The concentralions
of these parameters were reduced towards the end of year (October
to December); the dissolved oxygen on the other hand showed an increased
tendency trorn June until the end ot the experiment. The method
for rearing the species has been developed in warm-water pond farms,
in the southem part of Mexico, where a long (280 to 320 days) and warm
(25 to 35·C) season contributes to their rapid growth. With respect to
these abiotic tactors; water quality appeared to be favourable for ñsh
production.
Growth and production estimates are shown in Table 1. The highest
growth rate were observed from June to January (Fig. 2) at water
temperatures above 30·C. Total weight gain per fish in a twelve-month
period was of 390 g. The results iIIustrate the advantages ot raising the
species in warm-water tish farms throughout the year, since as good
growth-rates were even recorded during the winter. The maximum growth
for the smallest fish took place at 29 to 3S·C, whereas the biggest fish
grew best at 28 to 30·C. Specific growth rate decreased from a maximum
1
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Ag. 1: Water temperature. total dlst.olved soRd and conductlvlty values 01 tho pond water. The vaíues glveo are data comblned 1rom Ihree
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Jouma1 01Aquacvtture ~ th6 trcocs May 2002 131 ,
Table 1. GrowU1 and Pfodt..Ctioo estimales ter lhe Balsas catíisri cunere in .arltlen
poods during • xpe rimenl
Parametsrs Dala
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132 Joumal 01!.quacu/l¡;re", :11e Troocs May 2002 ,
Month
ASONOE z
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33 66· 99 132 165 198 231 264 297 3JO ;;5
rme(~ys)
F.g. 2: Average weighls olltle Balsas catrlSh in earthen ponds.
y = O.0262x2" 0l
R 2 = 0.9768
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Length (cm)
F9. 3: Weight-lenglh relationship of the Balsascatf"¡shunder culture conártions.
)

Jouma1 o( Aqucicuture ., th6 TfOP'CS Ma Y 2002 133
DISCUSSION
The growth season at Jicarero Farm is related to water temperature and
goes from the beginning 01 June lo the end 01 November. PotentiaJ
productioo appears most lavourable towards the summer season. The
Balsas catfish is considered the mosl promising native lish tor culture in
ponds of central and southern Mexico inland waters, basically because
they can adapt ver)' well to environment changes such as water temperature.
Guthrie and Avauit (~968; 1969), indicated that l. punctatus with an \¡
inñial weigh! of 18 g, in 10 months time can reach 589 g under cultura
conditioos: also, l. furcatus with an average weighl of 13.6 9 in the same
period of time in creases upto 272.5 9 and l. eatus wilh aro initia! mean
weighl of 18 9 in 9 months reaches 317.5 9 of average weight. Channel
catfish under semi-intensive culture cooditions can reach ir. 12 lo 18
monlhs a commercial weight of 450 9 (Bardach et al., 1972). Our data
shows that unoer earthen poods cuíture conditions the Baisas catfish can
reacn similar wp.ights to those reached by l. punctatus, 1. furcatus aliá
l. estos. The development of bitechniques on the reproduction oí fish
species in fish farms and ponds had elucidated the essential biological
characteristics for rearing Ihe specles on 2. commercial scale. Balsas
catfish raised in ponds consumed both natural and precared diets and
the spectrum of foods is found to be comparatively wider with. respect
to other aquaculture species (Kato and Romo, 1981). Our investigations
have shown that in pond farms, Balsas catñsh spawned successfully with
and without administration ot hypophyseal injection. The results ot acclimatization
ot Balsas catfish in Morelos, State. of Mexico has shown
that it is very promising for aquaculturists. The overall conclusion of this
study shoulé ')e that the growth of this species is indeed a highly variable
characteristic. ConsequenUy, the reported values for the parameters used
in various relations are representativa ooly for the condition prevailing in
this experíment. Balsas catfish is a valuable species tor introduction to
ponds in southem and central Mexico and tor rearing in fish farrn
monoculture and polyculturé systems.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to acknowledge A.L Martinez ·Solís who took part in the
experiment.
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13-4 Jouma/ o( Aquacuture in tri« Troocs May 2002
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Received 10.03,98
Accepted 12.05.02
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