February 15-18, 2009 Washington State Convention Center Seattle ...

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DETERMINING THE EFFECT OF THREE WATER CONDITIONERS ON HOLDING
SUCCESS OF MUMMICHOG Fundulus heteroclitus IN SIMULATED COMMERCIAL
HOLDING TANKS
Dennis McIntosh*, Adrienne George
Delaware State University
1200 N. DuPont Hwy.
Dover, DE 19901 USA
dmcintosh@desu.edu
Each year U.S. farmers produce $38 million worth of live bait for sport fishing. The two most common species produced,
golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas) and fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas), are used as a bait when fishing in
freshwater. In the Mid-Atlantic however, there is also a strong demand for saltwater bait that can be used when fishing in estuarine
and marine waters. Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) are considered an important local baitfish species because it can
be used as saltwater bait, where they are commonly used to catch flounder, speckled trout, and red drum. Currently supplies of
this species are limited to wild harvest, although there is work underway to develop production techniques for mummichogs.
After being harvested, mummichogs are held at high densities in retail holding tanks at bait shops for sale to recreational anglers.
Water quality deterioration in the retail holding tanks can result in a significant level of mortality and/or reduced bait
quality. To help mitigate this problem, a number of water conditioners are available that claim to provide stress relief and
thereby improve holding success.
The effects of three water conditioners on water quality and survival of mummichogs held under simulated retail conditions
was studied over 23 days at the Delaware State University Aquaculture Research and Demonstration Facility in Dover, DE.
Sixteen 163-L fiberglass tanks were each filled with 96.4 liters of water and 1,700 grams of fish (~ 400 fish/tank). One of four
treatments was then randomly assigned to each of the 16 tanks (4 replicates/treatment).
Results from this study indicate that using either of the salt treatments (CaCl or NaCl) was a better choice then either the control
or the commercial water conditioner, Better Bait, to improve the holding success of mummichogs held under simulated retail
conditions.
Water conditioner treatments applied to simulated retail bait holding tanks
over 23 days.
Treatments Dose Effective Concentration
Control (C)
(g/tank)
(g/L)
Sodium Chloride (NaCl) 280 2.96
Calcium Chloride (CaCl) 280 2.96
Better Bait * 7 0.07
*Sure-Life Laboratories Corporation, Seguin, TX