Source: LINCOLN UNIVERSITY submitted to
GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS OF BLUEGILL SUNFISH COMPARED WITH SELECTED BLUEGILL HYBRIDS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
EVANS-ALLEN
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0212445
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
MOX-HICKS
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2007
Project End Date
Oct 1, 2010
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Hicks, C. E.
Recipient Organization
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
JEFFERSON CITY,MO 65101
Performing Department
AGRICULTURE
Non Technical Summary
Hybrid bluegill have been studied before but not as food fish. In addition reproduction in pure bluegill is a problem in finishing fish in ponds. The purpose of this study is to compare the hybrids and triploids to pure bluegill growth and performance as food fish and to determine differences in flesh yield.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
3073719106080%
3073719108020%
Knowledge Area
307 - Animal Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
3719 - Other cultured finfish;

Field Of Science
1080 - Genetics; 1060 - Biology (whole systems);
Goals / Objectives
1. To compare the growth and out-of-season spawning performance characteristics of bluegill sunfish with selected hybrids in indoor water recycled and earthen pond systems. 2. To compare the growth and out-of-season spawning performance characteristics of triploid bluegill sunfish with triploid hybrids in indoor water recycled and earthen pond systems). 3. To validate intensive culture of bluegill in a recirculating system in a field trial. 7. To determine and compare filet yield from various sizes of adult bluegill or bluegill hybrids.
Project Methods
Procedure Year One: Breeding: Male bluegill sunfish L. macrochirus macrochirus will be selected for size, total weight(g)from Lincoln University stocks. Each sire is sequentially paired with a separate female of northern bluegill, green sunfish, red-ear sunfish, and warmouth. Fertilized eggs are incubated in nests and nests placed in 95L containers for hatching Rearing: Feeding with brine shrimp will commence 6 days post fertilization. Post 21 days, broods will be removed from the 95L tanks and stocked in 16-719L tanks. Broods will be kept separate until fingerling total length exceeds 70 mm. PIT tags will be inserted into the abdominal cavity. Simultaneously, fish are weighed(g)and measured, TL(mm). Fish from like taxa are pooled and allocated to six replicate tanks, 24 in total. Post 21 days fish will be fed with belt feeders. Total feed fed in each tank is recorded daily. Twenty randomly selected fish, from each tank (n = 480), are removed and transplanted in a 0.04 ha pond. Fish will be fed an extruded floating trout diet. Pond Harvest: Fish are weighed (g), measured (TL) mm, and individually identified by PIT tag number. Random samples across groups will be analyzed for gonad viability and body to gonad ratios (Shireman 1975; Render et. al. 1995; and McDonough et. al. 2003). Filet size and weight are determined from a sub-sample of the largest, smallest and medium sized fish. Carcasses will be incinerated. Bluegill and Bluegill Hybrid Health Research fish will be monitored twice weekly for health status, proper care and environmental standards (Klontz 1995, DeTolla et al 1995). Fish displaying any signs of disease or moribund are evaluated for bacteria and parasites. Severely moribund and dead fish will be examined and necropsies performed following industry standards (Post; G. 1987, Noga 2000, Lasee 1995, Brunson et. al. 2005, Klontz 1995). Year Two: All rearing and handling techniques (Dvorak and Morris 2001) will be similar. Breeding techniques will follow the same procedures. Two minutes after fertilization the substrate and eggs will be removed from the container and placed in a pressure chamber and subjected to 48,264 kPa pressure for four minutes (Wills et. al. 1994), removed and placed in a nest for incubation. Presence of triploids will be determined by use of Coulter Counter and Channelyzer by analyzing distribution of erythrocyte nuclear volumes (Wattendorf 1986). Rearing and feeding procedures will be similar as described above. All fish will be euthanized at the end of the test and the PIT tags will be recovered. Sub-samples of gonads will be examined for viability and SGI. Year Three Bluegill Rearing Validation: A Missouri fish farmer, Mr. Ellis, whom adopted the technology to raise bluegill in a recirculating system, in 2006, will be recruited for a validation evaluation. Rearing techniques, handling, hauling, marketing and profitability will be evaluated since the installation of the system. Analysis: Data will be analyzed as a randomize block design (personal communication Mark Ellerseick Ph. D., University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri).

Progress 10/01/07 to 10/01/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Project: Growth Characteristics of Bluegill Sunfish Compared with Selected Bluegill Hybrids Objectives: 1.To compare the growth and out-of-season spawning performance characteristics of bluegill sunfish with selected hybrids in indoor water recycled and earthen pond systems. 2.To compare the growth and out-of-season spawning performance characteristics of triploid bluegill sunfish with triploid hybrids in indoor water recycled and earthen pond systems). 3.To validate intensive culture of bluegill in a recirculating system in a field trial. 4.To determine and compare fillet yield from various sizes of adult bluegill or bluegill. Experiments with indoor spawning were discontinued because methods were impractical for commercial production. Indoor spawning results were variable and inputs were greater results warranted. Methods for spawning induction in sunfish are not developed and the use of spawning stimulants has not been successful. Methods for pond spawning of selected sunfish hybrids: redear X bluegill, green X bluegill, and warmouth X bluegill were developed. Young-of-the-Year (YOY) of the three hybrids and pure bluegill were reared separately in 0.1 ha ponds for one summer and tested for growth in indoor tanks for five months. Length weight measurements were done on all fish before and after the tank grow out. Each hybrid cross and bluegill from the tanks were stocked into four 0.1 hectare ponds. Ponds were harvested in six months and fish were weighed and measured. Data were analyzed for the tank and pond trials for length, weight, by species. Tank trial results indicated length of bluegill and green cross were 2.9% longer than the redear hybrids and 12% longer than the warmouth hybrids. Length differences were significant at p < 0.05 between the bluegill and warmouth, redear and warmouth, and green and warmouth. Weight comparisons were similar, the bluegill were 23% heavier than the green sunfish, 29% heavier than the redear, and 47% heavier than the warmouth. Significant differences in weight ( p < 0.05) occurred between the bluegill and all the hybrids. Data from the pond grow out trial showed similar results in length with the bluegill and the green sunfish hybrids being the longest and the warmouth hybrids the shortest. Significant weight differences occurred between all three; bluegill, green sunfish, redear and the warmouth hybrid. Analysis of weight data indicated the redear hybrid as the heaviest, 7% heavier than bluegill, 9% heavier than green sunfish hybrids and 47% heavier than warmouth hybrids. Significant differences (p <0.05) only occurred between the bluegill and warmouth, redear and warmouth, and green sunfish and warmouth. Results indicate bluegills, redear, green sunfish, and warmouth hybrids can be produced by pond spawning. The selected combinations of males and females are necessary for successful YOY production. Redear females will spawn with bluegill males, as well as warmouth females. Either combination can be used with green sunfish. The sunfish tested in the experiment have potential for single species rearing or multi-species rearing in Missouri ponds. Fillet yield data has not been completed. PARTICIPANTS: Project Workers P.I. Charles E. Hicks, Laboratory Assistant, Russell Gerlach, Fish Health Specialist, Cindy Borgword, Various Student Assistants. Professional Development- Aquaculture Field Day, October 3, 2009-60 High School students interested in Science and related fields. Over 50 inquires and visits from farmers and stakeholders in Missouri about sunfish culture. Presentation Missouri Aquaculture Association 2010, Production of Sunfish for Food Markets. Presentation Aquaculture America 2010, San Diego, "Alternative Species Development". TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences included low resource farmers with private lakes or ponds and fish farmers in Missouri. P.I. led disscussions at Missouri Aquaculture Association Annual Conference on sunfish production methods. Also served on panel at Annual Small Farm Conference on Marketing Aquaculture Products. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Extension outreach efforts will reach approximately 1,000 potential fish farmers through conferences, publications, meetings and the internet. Utilizing methods developed in this study, stakeholders or low resource farmers may produce sunfish for direct consumption or for sale in food fish markets. The markets currently exist for sunfish in food fish markets in the North-Central States. Missouri fish farmers have the capacity and resources to produce food sized sunfish by adopting techniques developed in this study and previous reported studies. Missouri has over 300,000 acres of private ponds and lakes that can be utilized for low input sunfish grow out utilizing low cost cage culture. Cage culture in private water will also provide another value added product to existing small or low resource farmers. Recent news reports indicate many Missourians do not have adequate nutrition. Providing information how to grow sunfishes in the 300,000 existing farm ponds can contribute to families having adequate nutrition.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: 1. Accomplishment of research objectives. During this quarter RE X BG, GS X BG, WR X BG hybrids have been spawned naturally in artificial nests placed in 11 m X 11 m enclosures in 0.10 hectare ponds. BG X BG were also spawned in the same manner for control comparisons. Two weeks after larvae left the nests fish began feeding on prepared diets. Feed is offered twice daily at 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM. All fish will be harvested in October and moved to a 24 tank recycle system for growth and performance testing during the winter months. A group of hybrid sunfish RE X BG were also sujected to cold-shock as described by Garling, (Morris, J.E., C.C. Mischke, and D.L. Garling. 2002. Sunfish Culture Guide. North Central Regional Aquaculture Center. these fish were hatched in jars, fed brine shrimp for 21 days, and converted to prepared diets and raised in an indoor recycle system and stocked in a 0.1 ha pond in April and will be harvested in October. The fish will be checked for ploidy in the Fall. This part of the project is being conducted to develop poly-ploid brood fish for stock development. Lincoln University Extension Publication, Title: Aquaculture Guide Sheet No. 1: Swine Barn Conversion for Fish Culture. Disseminated as hard copy and included on Lincoln University Extension publication Web Page. PARTICIPANTS: The P.I. for the project is Charles E. Hicks, Research Assistant-Russell Gerlach, and four student workers assisted in the pond work and maintenance. A Field Day for High School students envolved in Vo-Ag studies was held in late September. Different aquaculture activities were demonstrated and the students were allowed to get hands on experintial training. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences small farmers and underserved rural residents, Vo-Ag instructors and High School Students. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: No modifications or major changes are planned for the project.

Impacts
The project has shown that sunfish hybrids; RE X BG, GS X BG, and WR X BG will spawn successfully in enclosures in production ponds and produce progney. The progney were successfully converted to prepared diets within two weeks of emerging from the nests.

Publications

  • Publications: Hicks,C.E., M.R. Ellersieck, and C.J. Borgwordt. 2009. Production Methods for Food-Sized Bluegills. North American Jouarnal of Aquaculture 71:52-58.


Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Selected crosses of sunfish hybrids, RE X BG, WM X BG, GS X BG, and BG X BG were made in ponds and in the laboratory. F1 generation fish from each cross were produced in the laboratory and survival and growth is currently being compared. Survival and growth of F1 generation fish from pond spawning will be determined when ponds are harvested within the next two weeks. F1 generation fish from each cross will tested for growth and perfromance in a 24 tank, each 945L, recirculating aquaculture system. Fish will be weighed and measured twice before they are stocked in ponds during April of 2009. Bluegill sunfish were were also tested on growth and performance in a recirculating system and in ponds that were fed four feeds that had different levels of protein and fat. The separate feeds contained the following levels of protein and and fat; 42% protein and 16% fat, 42% protein and 12% fat, 40% protein and 10% fat, and 35% protein and 5% fat. Early results indicated better growth in the recirculation system on the higher protein and fat feeds. PARTICIPANTS: Inividuals working on project: Russell Gerlach, Laboratory Assistant, Lincoln University Leslie Hearne, Graduate Student and Student worker Chris Scheppers, Student Worker Adam Stamp, Student Worker Dr. James Wetzel, Lincoln University Dr. Dr. Mark Ellersieck, Statistician, University of Missouri Professional Development Midwest Aquaculture Conference and U.S. Trout Farmers Association Milwaukee Wisconsin, Invited presentation, Methods of Producing Food Sized Bluegill Sunfish, C.E. Hicks. TARGET AUDIENCES: Missouri Aquaculture Industry Missouri Aquaculture Association PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Crosses between RE females and Bluegill males produced the largest larvae and showed advanced growth over the other crosses. This hybrid cross should be considered by commercial producers as a prefered cross because of the large size of the larvae and ease of starting on larval and advanced feed formulations

Publications

  • No publications reported this period