Journal of The World Aquaculture Society最新文献

{"title":"Farm strategies and characteristics influencing profitability in Nigerian catfish aquaculture: Lessons on resilience during economic crisis and COVID-type shock","authors":"Olanrewaju Femi Olagunju,&nbsp;Dadi Kristofersson,&nbsp;Tumi Tómasson,&nbsp;Theódór Kristjánsson","doi":"10.1111/jwas.13058","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jwas.13058","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Since the early 2000s, aquaculture in Nigeria has grown exponentially. African catfish aquaculture was a major contributor to this expansion. However, a fall in output started in 2015, mostly due to challenging economic conditions which affected farmer's profitability. This challenge has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Notwithstanding, some catfish farms remained profitable. This study investigates the profitability strategies that aid farmers' resilience in times of both economic distress and COVID-type shock. Data from 609 randomly sampled farms across the country were verified and included in the study covering 1118 operations for the pre-COVID and COVID periods. Budgetary analysis was done, and stepwise regression was used to identify factors that most contribute to profitability. These factors were ranked by average profit per kilogram and grouped. The profitability during the periods was influenced by factors within the subcategories of scale of operation, experience, targeted markets, ownership, and pond type. Engagement in other agricultural ventures favored profitability during the COVID period. Profitable and non-profitable groups were further characterized based on their technical and financial indicators. Explored strategies for profitability, including the operation scale, marketing tactics, cost-cutting, and innovative production techniques all proved successful during economic distress and the pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":17284,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The World Aquaculture Society","volume":"55 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jwas.13058","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140005792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Small-scale hatchery of common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., in the highlands of Madagascar: Technical approach to improve fry production","authors":"Samuel Rakotoambinina,&nbsp;Damien Desprez,&nbsp;Henri Adelphe Andriniaina,&nbsp;Fanomezantsoa Randriarilala,&nbsp;David Rakotomavo,&nbsp;Lovasoa Rakotoasimbola,&nbsp;Mamy Andriantsoa,&nbsp;Léo Godard","doi":"10.1111/jwas.13063","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jwas.13063","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In Madagascar, fish farming is a complementary activity to agriculture, developed mainly in the highlands region. The common carp, <i>Cyprinus carpio</i> L., is the main species farmed. The availability of fingerlings is one of the key constraints facing the sector. The present study shows the benefit of an appropriate feed and feeding regime to both broodfish and larvae/fry and also the positive impact of protecting larvae during the first stages of their life by using happa system. The combination of these technical approaches increases significantly carp fry production.</p>","PeriodicalId":17284,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The World Aquaculture Society","volume":"55 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jwas.13063","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139979185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of CTNNB1 in the lined seahorse, Hippocampus erectus, and its function in innate immunity and cell proliferation","authors":"Lele Zhang,&nbsp;Fang Wang,&nbsp;Chunhui Lv,&nbsp;Lanliang Yu,&nbsp;Xiaojing Ci,&nbsp;Ning Zhang,&nbsp;Longwu Jia,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Xue,&nbsp;Xu Zhang,&nbsp;Xiaolei Su,&nbsp;Kai Wang","doi":"10.1111/jwas.13061","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jwas.13061","url":null,"abstract":"<p>β-Catenin (<i>CTNNB</i>) is a core downstream mediator in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which plays a role in immune regulation and cell differentiation. In the present study, two <i>CTNNB</i> genes were identified by genomic analysis of <i>Hippocampus erectus</i> and named <i>He-CTNNB1</i> and <i>He-CTNNB2</i>. <i>He-CTNNB1</i> was more conserved than <i>He-CTNNB2</i>. The full length of <i>He-CTNNB1</i> was 2369 bp, including an open reading frame of 2275 bp that encoded 737 amino acids containing 12 armadillo repeats. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that <i>He-CTNNB1</i> clusters had homologs in other bony fishes. Tissue distribution analysis showed the highest mRNA expression of <i>He-CTNNB1</i> in the ovary, liver, and kidney of the lined seahorse under normal physiological conditions. The transcription level of <i>He-CTNNB1</i> was significantly increased in the liver and kidney in response to LPS, poly I:C, and <i>Edwardsiella tarda</i> challenge (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). In vitro overexpression of <i>He-CTNNB1</i> significantly upregulated the expression of key genes of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, such as <i>axin2</i>, <i>cMyc</i>, and <i>cyclinD</i> (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), which increased cell proliferation during the wound-healing process. Taken together, our results suggest that <i>He-CTNNB1</i> is essential for cell proliferation and the innate immune response in <i>H. erectus</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":17284,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The World Aquaculture Society","volume":"55 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jwas.13061","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139979318","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Skeletal anomalies in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) larvae reared in different densities and water volumes","authors":"Zachary Dellacqua,&nbsp;Claudia Di Biagio,&nbsp;Arianna Martini,&nbsp;Francesco Mattei,&nbsp;Arnold Rakaj,&nbsp;James C. Williams Jr.,&nbsp;Andrea Fabris,&nbsp;Marisol Izquierdo,&nbsp;Clara Boglione","doi":"10.1111/jwas.13056","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jwas.13056","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study describes the effects on the skeletal phenotype of two pivotal factors, density and water volume, don the hatchery (larval) phase of gilthead seabream (<i>Sparus aurata</i>) larvae previoulsy described for two model species (<i>Danio rerio</i> and <i>Oryzias latipes</i>) and sub-adult (pre-ongrowing) gilthead seabream (<i>Sparus aurata</i>). The experimental trial was conducted using single conditions in a pilot study, starting with a total of 615,385 eggs from the same batch. Three densities (LD low density: 25 larvae/L; MD medium density: 125 larvae/L; and HD high density: 250 larvae/L) and two water volumes (500 and 1000 L) were tested from spawning up to 60 days post-hatching (dph) (average standard length: 1.79 cm; average dry weight: 27.11 mg). On the final samples, morphometric, anatomical, and histological data were collected for data pertinent to meristic counts and skeletal anomalies. The results (analyzed by means of multivariate analyses) indicated that the LD-reared larvae were significantly longer and heavier than HD-reared fish. Furthermore, LD-reared gilthead seabream exhibited a significant reduction in the frequency of individuals with anomalies of jaws, vertebral body shape, and vertebral arches than the MD and HD conditions, which is in agreement with previous experiments carried out on model species and gilthead seabream sub-adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":17284,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The World Aquaculture Society","volume":"55 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jwas.13056","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139953968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Live feed enrichments using microalgae for pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) larval culture","authors":"C. Yanes-Roca,&nbsp;K. Štěrbová,&nbsp;J. Mráz,&nbsp;L. Veselý,&nbsp;O. Malinovskyi,&nbsp;T. Pěnka,&nbsp;J. Masojídek,&nbsp;T. Policar","doi":"10.1111/jwas.13059","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jwas.13059","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This trial aimed to customize pikeperch (<i>Sander lucioperca</i>) larval nutrition using live feed enrichments based on <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> and <i>Trachydiscus minutus</i>. Pikeperch larvae were fed with rotifers and Artemia enriched with <i>C. vulgaris and T. minutus</i> during the first 17 days after exogenous feeding (started 4 days post-hatching [dph]) and only Artemia until 20 dph. Larvae were exposed to seven different enrichments: (a) <i>Nannochloropsis occulata</i> (Nanno 3600 reed Mariculture) (Control), (b) <i>C. vulgaris</i> cultured at 20°C in BG-117 medium (BG20), (c) <i>C. vulgaris</i> cultured at 30°C in BG-117 medium (BG30), (d) <i>T. minutus</i> cultured at 15°C (T15), (e) <i>T. minutus</i> cultured at 25°C (T25), (f) <i>C. vulgaris</i> cultured at 20°C in urea medium (U20), and (g) <i>C. vulgaris</i> cultured at 30°C in urea medium (U30). After 20 days, no significant differences were found between treatments on total length, standard length, myomere height, and eye diameter. On the contrary, significant differences were found in larval fatty acid composition after the trial period. Larvae from the BG30 treatment showed a significantly higher concentration of docosahexaenoic acid (5.61%), and larvae from the T25 treatment had a higher concentration of eicosapentaenoic acid 12.95%. Furthermore, larvae from the U20 treatment had a significantly higher arachidonic acid concentration of 0.116%. Overall, regarding essential fatty acid concentration, a significant difference was observed between the control treatment (<i>Nannochloropsis</i>) and the other treatments. No adverse effects were found on growth or survival when Nannochloropsis-enriched live feed was replaced with the other enrichments. This trial's results will help optimize the pikeperch larvae's nutritional requirements and diversify the live feed enrichments used during the first feeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":17284,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The World Aquaculture Society","volume":"55 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jwas.13059","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139953843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of stocking density during simulated transport on physiology and behavior of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)","authors":"Yifei Yang,&nbsp;Edward Narayan,&nbsp;Sonia Rey Planellas,&nbsp;Clive J. C. Phillips,&nbsp;Lu Zheng,&nbsp;Bingying Xu,&nbsp;Lei Wang,&nbsp;Yuechong Liu,&nbsp;Yuxiao Sun,&nbsp;Gladstone Sagada,&nbsp;Hao-Yu Shih,&nbsp;Qingjun Shao,&nbsp;Kris Descovich","doi":"10.1111/jwas.13054","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jwas.13054","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The live transport of farmed fish is an important practice in Chinese aquaculture due to consumer preferences in its domestic market. However, live transport can be stressful for fish and may cause many welfare issues. This study aimed to examine the effects of transport density on the welfare of largemouth bass (<i>Micropterus salmoides</i>). Adult fish were allocated to four experimental treatments in a two-factor design (<i>N</i> = 5 groups per treatment). Factor one was stocking density of either 39 (low density) or 78 (high density) g L⁻¹. Factor two was transport, with half of the fish groups exposed to simulated transport stress for 3 h using a motion platform, and the other half kept in static tanks for the same length of time. Baseline behavior and physiology were determined from a subset of fish after acclimation but before selection into groups and application of transport. To determine the effects of transport, stocking density, and their interaction on the experimental groups, physiological sampling and behavioral recording were carried out immediately after simulated transport, and water quality was measured both before and after transport. Changes in water quality were observed between two timepoints, with decreased dissolved oxygen levels and increased water temperature. Total ammonia nitrogen levels significantly increased in all treatments over time, particularly in the high-density groups. Fish ventilation rates were significantly elevated in the groups kept at a high stocking density regardless of whether they also experienced transport stress. Fish transported at a high stocking density also showed more fear-related behaviors such as freezing and thigmotaxis than non-transported groups. Serum cortisol, catalase, and aspartate transaminase levels were significantly higher in the transported treatment groups compared to the baseline fish, but no difference was found for serum glucose, lactate, and glutathione peroxidase. We concluded that 3 h of simulated transport was stressful to largemouth bass kept at 78 g L⁻¹, as evidenced by altered fish physiological and behavioral indicators of stress, as well as deteriorated water quality. Additionally, we identified a positive correlation between serum and skin mucus samples for cortisol, glucose, and lactate in transported fish, providing important information for developing less invasive methods for the welfare assessment of largemouth bass.</p>","PeriodicalId":17284,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The World Aquaculture Society","volume":"55 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jwas.13054","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139953856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of microalgae diets on growth, proximate, and fatty acid composition of black mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis","authors":"Kamil Mert Eryalçın,&nbsp;Zeynep Sena Pınarbaşı,&nbsp;Sare Sena Turk,&nbsp;Merve Tınkır","doi":"10.1111/jwas.13050","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jwas.13050","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study evaluates the growth, proximate, and fatty acid composition of black mussel, <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> fed four marine microalgae (<i>Pavlova lutheri</i>, <i>Nannochloropsis oculata</i>, <i>Diacronema vlkianum</i> and <i>Rhinomonas reticulata</i>) diets for 21 days. Black mussel is a common bivalve species that has been recognized as important for marine aquaculture with increasing production in the last two decades. The mussel group fed <i>N. oculata</i> showed a significantly lower survival rate than the other groups (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Shell height, length, and width of mussels were measured. The height and length of the mussel group fed <i>N. oculata</i> were statistically higher than other experimental groups (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Shell width did not show any significant differences among groups (<i>p</i> &gt; 0.05). The microalgae <i>N. oculata</i> showed the highest protein content whereas <i>P. lutheri</i> had the highest crude lipid content among dietary treatments. The group fed <i>P. lutheri</i> showed significantly higher protein, lipid, and ash contents among experimental groups (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). The <i>D. vlkianum</i> diet enhanced the highest docosahexaenoic acid level in black mussels. Black mussel fed <i>P. lutheri</i> showed the highest eicosapentaenoic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid levels. Arachidonic acid was found to be similar among experimental groups. In our study, <i>P. lutheri</i> and <i>D. vlkianum</i> had outstanding results on survival, growth, and essential fatty acid accumulation in mussel culture.</p>","PeriodicalId":17284,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The World Aquaculture Society","volume":"55 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jwas.13050","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139765155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of dietary supplementation with Haematococcus pluvialis on the growth, antioxidantase activities, and gut microbiota of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)","authors":"Yong Dou,&nbsp;Xiangdong Bi","doi":"10.1111/jwas.13060","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jwas.13060","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Chinese mitten crab (<i>Eriocheir sinensis</i>) is bred extensively in Eastern and Northern China and faces a series of problems such as frequent diseases, germplasm degradation, and declining benefits, which have appeared to seriously affect the sustainable development of the cultivation industry. <i>Haematococcus pluvialis</i>, a type of unicellular green algae, have been proven to be the suitable dietary supplementation in crustacean feeds. After 14 days of feeding with 5% dietary supplementation with <i>Haematococcus pluvialis</i> powder, the growth, antioxidantase activities, and gut microbiota of <i>E. sinensis</i> were analyzed. The results indicated that <i>H. pluvialis</i> powder could significantly improve growth indicators including weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) of <i>E. sinensis</i> (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) declined, while that of phenoloxidase (PO) kept rising under the treatment of <i>H. pluvialis</i> powder. Moreover, alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity dropped initially and then increased. No significant differences in the Simpson index and Chao1 index in the control and <i>H. pluvialis</i> powder treatment were observed (<i>p</i> &gt; 0.05). Although the dominant microbiota in the crab gut were not affected significantly by <i>H. pluvialis</i> powder, significant differences in the relative abundance of the dominant phyla between the control and <i>H. pluvialis</i> powder treatment groups were observed (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Candidatus_Bacilloplasma, which play an important role in the life activities of <i>E. sinensis</i>, were significantly higher in the group treated by <i>H. pluvialis</i> powder than in the control (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Therefore, the <i>H. pluvialis</i> powder could be potentially used not only as a rapid fattening regulator, but also to improve the immunity and metabolic capacity of <i>E. sinensis</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":17284,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The World Aquaculture Society","volume":"55 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jwas.13060","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139765147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Juvenile production technology for tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, through different stocking density using a recirculation system","authors":"Brata Pantjara,&nbsp;Romi Novriadi,&nbsp;Erfan A. Hendrajat,&nbsp;Herlinah Herlinah,&nbsp;Ricko Reynalta,&nbsp;Tri H. Prihadi,&nbsp;Anang H. Kristanto,&nbsp;Rachman Syah,&nbsp;Jojo Subagja,&nbsp;Yohanna R. Widyastuti,&nbsp;Adang Saputra,&nbsp;Deni Radona,&nbsp;Imam Taukhid","doi":"10.1111/jwas.13055","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jwas.13055","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Aquaculture recirculation technology has evolved in recent years, as it can save water use and maintain good water quality during tiger shrimp fry rearing and ultimately increase juvenile production. The recirculation technology in this experiment is expected to be adopted by small-scale tiger shrimp seed farmers. This study aims to develop the technology for producing a juvenile tiger shrimp recirculation system to support shrimp cultivation in ponds. The recirculation system container comprises a biofiltration tank filled with oysters, seaweed, and tilapia. Containers to keep tiger shrimp larvae alive in the recirculation system use a round-shaped container with a volume of 2 m³. Tiger shrimp larvae were cared for at; A. density of 2000 individuals/m²; B. density of 1500 individuals/m²; and C. density of 1000 individuals/m². This study found that the survival rate of tiger shrimp in treatments C and B were high, reaching 96.800^b ± 2.716% and 91.62^b ± 3.432%, respectively, while survival in treatment A was the lowest, at 81.700^a ± 4.715%.</p>","PeriodicalId":17284,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The World Aquaculture Society","volume":"55 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jwas.13055","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139850310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors affecting feed conversion ratios in US commercial catfish production ponds","authors":"Nathan M. Stone,&nbsp;Carole R. Engle,&nbsp;Ganesh Kumar,&nbsp;Menghe H. Li,&nbsp;Shraddha Hegde,&nbsp;Luke A. Roy,&nbsp;Anita M. Kelly,&nbsp;Larry Dorman,&nbsp;Matthew S. Recsetar","doi":"10.1111/jwas.13053","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jwas.13053","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is widely used as a measure of feed use efficiency in commercial aquaculture production and research. Surprisingly, little work has focused on the factors that affect FCR in plankton-based, commercial ponds despite the widespread use of FCR as a production metric. Proposals to use FCR as a numeric standard for environmental regulation (mandatory or voluntary) raise questions as to whether FCR meets the reliability and consistency requirements of a good metric, and whether it would lead to desired behavioral changes. This article summarizes FCR data from university research verification programs conducted on US catfish farms and databases developed from commercial farm records. The relevant research literature is synthesized with respect to factors that affect FCR. US catfish is used as a case study because pond-level data from verification trials (Extension/research-led on-farm trials of best available science) and commercial farm records are available. While specific to US catfish production, the analysis provides insights into factors affecting FCR that likely apply to other pond-based aquaculture species. Commercial verification of pond data showed (1) significant variation in FCR (coefficients of variation from 1% to 47%) among ponds with similar stocking, feeding, and aeration rates; (2) significant effects of survival on FCR; and (3) no significant effects on FCR of yield, feed type, management, or production system. Improvements in FCR would occur with improved survival that requires improved management of federally protected fish-eating bird populations and development of additional, effective vaccines for diseases. FCRs were found to not exhibit the degree of reliability and consistency required for use as an effective metric or numeric standard for regulatory purposes. Use of FCR for mandatory or voluntary regulation is unlikely to lead to behavioral changes by farmers.</p>","PeriodicalId":17284,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The World Aquaculture Society","volume":"55 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jwas.13053","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139765295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}