ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT. Data on production of fingerling striped bass, Morone saxatilis, in 103 ponds at 17 hatcheries in 1988 were related to information on management practices and water qualities. Produc tion was highly variable, with a median of 50,000/ha. No survival was evident in 12% of ponds; numbers harvested exceeded 250,000/ ha in 5% of ponds. Best survival resulted when larvae were stocked within 2 days after pond filling was started and at hatcheries with relatively low application rates of fertilizers during the prestocking interval. No survival was evident in ponds with pH >9.0 in the week after stocking. High pH ’s and probably toxic concentrations of un-ionized ammonia were related to water being in ponds for too long prior to stocking and to high applications of fertilizers. Ex amination of samples of larvae collected at stocking and the week after stocking documented a problem with swim bladder inflation. When larvae were stocked at D5 or D6 (D1 is day of hatch), inflation success averaged 91%; when stocked at SD 7, inflation success averaged 60%. Measures proposed to improve production include: (1) Stock larvae prior to the critical period of swim bladder inflation
Richard O. Anderson, National Fish Hatchery and Technology Center, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 500 East McCarty Lane, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA. Correspondence may be addressed to 3618 Elms Court, Missouri City, TX 77459, USA.
