Food Fish Aquaculture

Cortney Ohs, Ph.D.

University of FloridaIndian River Research and Education Center

School of Forest Resources and ConservationProgram in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Topics to CoverTopics to Cover

• Food fish–Hybrid Striped Bass–Catfish–Tilapia

Source: US Dept of Agriculture; 20051 Includes clam seed2 Hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass, carp, and sturgeon3 Includes baitfish, crustaceans, and other aquatics

$33,232,000

17,560,000

10,694,000

4,070,000

1,731,000

1,434,000477,000

341,000 191,000

5,245,000

2005 FL Net Aquaculture Sales

Ornamental fish

Aquatic plants

Clams 1 & Oysters

Alligators

Other Food Fish 2

Catfish

Tilapia

Live Rock

All Sportfish

Other 3

Food Fishin Florida

Limitations to Food Fish in FL

• One company producing food– High shipping costs of feed ingredients

• No large scale processing facilities– Sell local, live, whole on ice, or transport

to processor

Hybrid Striped Bass

Striped Bass female X White Bass male = Original Cross or Palmetto Bass

White Bass female X Striped Bass male = Reciprocal Cross or Sunshine Bass

Phases of ProductionHatchery – Indoor, spawning controlled by hormone injections

Phase I – Larvae stocked into fertilized ponds and grown for 30 – 60 days, harvested, size graded, and feed trained

Phase II – Feed trained fish stocked into ponds at 1-3 inches and harvested at 8-10 inches

Phase III - Phase II fish size graded, restocked, and grown to market size

Production SystemsPonds, Net Pens, Tanks

Marketing • Live • Fresh on ice

Hybrid Striped Bass in FL2007 Production

• 4 producers• 562,000 pounds total production• 40,000 pounds sold live for $3.25/lb• 522,000 pounds sold fresh for $3.00/lb

Hybrid Striped Bass in FL

• Production trends similar throughout US• Some farms are expanding their production

capabilities• Increase in demand• Steady price for two decades• Increase in production costs

Nature’s Catch - Clarksdale, MS

Kent Sea Tech - California

Design of Cages

Cages

Catfish Production - Stages

• Broodfish maturation• Hatchery and fry

production• Fingerling production• Foodfish production

Broodfish Maturation

Fry Production

Fingerling Production

Feeding Catfish Ponds

Harvesting

Catfish in FL 2007 Production

• 12 Producers - all located in the panhandle• 500 A of ponds• Production of 6000-8000 pounds/A• Larger fish produced 2+ lbs• Harvested fish are live hauled to a S. AL processing facility• Price decreasing and feed prices increasing• Increasing grain prices are devastating industry

Mozambique Tilapia

Red Tilapia

Commonly Cultured Tilapias Commonly Cultured Tilapias

Blue Tilapia

Nile Tilapia

Males dig and defend a nest

Females incubate eggs

and defend the fry

ReproductionReproduction

Incubating Eggs

Yolk-sac Fry

Eggs can be removed from females:Eggs can be removed from females:

Mouth Brooders

40 days after stocking brood fish

18 days after stocking brood fish

Fry can be harvested:Fry can be harvested:

Tilapia Production in AsiaTilapia Production in Asia

• Feeds low on the food chain – lower protein requirement

• Accepts wide range of feeds • Resistant to poor water quality, disease

and handling • Good flesh quality • Fingerlings easy to produce year round

Advantages of Tilapia CultureAdvantages of Tilapia Culture

• One hatchery and a few small producers• Production costs are too high • U. S. producers can’t compete with

producers in tropical climates for processed tilapia

• Most tilapia are sold live or fresh on ice • Fresh filets are imported from Central

and South America • Frozen whole tilapia and filets are

imported from Asia

Tilapia Culture in FloridaTilapia Culture in Florida

Marine Species• Variety of species — cobia, flounder, pompano, black

seabass, snapper, baitfish

Contact Information

Cortney L. Ohs, Ph.D.University of Florida

Indian River Research and Education Center2199 S. Rock Road

Fort Pierce FL 34945(772) 468-3922 ext. 130

cohs@ufl.eduhttp://irrec.ifas.ufl.edu/aquaculture/