The sport-fish industry is one of the oldest aquaculture industries in the United States. The fish grown on the farm are usually sold as fingerlings to farm pond owners.
| Hybrid Striped Bass | Largemouth Bass | Smallmouth Bass | Bluegill |
| Black Bullhead | Grass Carp | Blue Catfish | Channel Catfish |
| Yellow Perch | Hybrid Sunfish | Redear Sunfish | Rainbow Trout |
| Walleye |
Common name: Hybrid striped bass, sunshine bass, palmetto bass,
whipper
Scientific name: Morone saxatilis x M. chrysops or
M. chrysops x M. saxatilis
Production potential: Moderate
Marketing potential:
Potential: Moderate
Size: 1.5-3.5 lbs.
Market: Food, sport
Temperature requirements:
Growing: 77-86° F
Spawning: 61-68° F
Lethal: NA
Feed requirements:
Protein: 45-50%
Fat: 15%
Fry: Stocked into ponds containing rodifer and cladocern zooplankton
populations.
Spawning requirements: Spawns late March to May. Cross made with either female white bass and male striped bass (sunshine bass), or with female striped bass and male white bass (palmetto bass). Female striped bass average 100,000 eggs/lb. body weight (25,000 eggs per ounce of spawn) and white bass females average 50,000 eggs/lb. body weight (100,000 eggs per spawn). Eggs hatch in two to five days. Survival of fry is low, less than 50%.
Most common production systems: Ponds, recycle systems, and cages
Common name: Largemouth bass
Scientific name: Micropterus salmoides
Production potential: Moderate
Marketing potential:
Potential: High
Size: 1.0-2.5 lbs.
Market: Food, sport
Temperature requirements:
Growing: 55-80°F
Spawning: 60-65°F
Lethal: NA
Feed requirements:
Protein: 40% diets are normally fed to adults after fingerlings have been
trained to accept commercial diets.
Fat: NA
Spawning requirements: Spawning runs from spring through summer when temperature is 60°F to 65°F. Nest layers producing 1,300 eggs/lb. body weight. Eggs hatch in approximately four days.
Most common production systems: Ponds for spawning and grow-out to food size.
Small fingerlings are normally removed from ponds and trained to accept
commercial diets using flow-through systems.
Smallmouth Bass
Common name: Smallmouth bass
Scientific name: Micropterus dolomieui
Production potential: Easy for fingerlings. Difficult for food size.
Marketing potential:
Potential: Easy
Size: 4-6 inches for fingerlings, 1.5-3.0 lbs. for food size.
Market: Sport
Temperature requirements:
Growing: 50-70°F
Spawning: 58-62°F
Lethal: NA
Feed requirements:
Protein: 45%
Fat: 8%
Spawning requirements: Nest layer, 8,000 eggs/lb. body weight
Most common production systems: Ponds
Common name: Bluegill
Scientific name: Lepomis macrochirus
Production potential: Easy
Marketing potential:
Potential: Moderate
Size: 3 fish per lb.
Market: Food, sport
Temperature requirements:
Growing: 55-80°F
Spawning: 75-80°F (80°F optimal)
Lethal: NA
Feed requirements:
Protein: 32%
Fat: 8-10%
Spawning requirements: Spring spawners, nest builders, 50,000 eggs/lb. body
weight
Common name: Black bullhead
Scientific name: Ictalurus melas
Production potential: Easy
Marketing potential:
Potential: Moderate
Size: 0.75-1.0 lb.
Market: Food, sport
Temperature requirements:
Growing: 78-82°F
Spawning: 80°F
Lethal: NA
Feed requirements:
Protein: 32%
Fat: NA
Spawning requirements: Spawning occurs between mid-May and July. Females build nests and the male guards the nest after the first day. Females may produce 2,500-3,800 eggs per fish. Eggs hatch in 5-10 days.
Most common production systems: Ponds and cages. Ponds stocked at 2,000
fingerlings per acre. Cages stocked at 8-10 fingerlings per cubic foot.
Common name: Grass carp
Scientific name: Ctenopharyngodon idella
Production potential: Difficult
Marketing potential:
Potential: Moderate to High
Size: 0.5 - 5.0 lbs.
Market: Food, sport (aquatic weed control)
Temperature requirements:
Growing: 70-77°F
Spawning: 68-80°F
Lethal: NA
Feed requirements:
Protein: 41-43%
Fat: NA
Spawning requirements: Fish become sexually mature in 2-3 years in the south and 4-6 years in the north. In the wild, grass carp are riverine spawners and spawn in the spring when temperatures reach 68-72°F. In aquaculture, grass carp are spawned in tanks or hand stripped and the fertilized eggs incubated in McDonnell jars. Spawning is induced using carp pituitary or gonadotropins. Mature females may produce 500,000-800,000 eggs that can hatch in 18-28 hours.
Most common production systems: Ponds. At 120,000 fry per acre, it takes
approximately one month to reach 2 inches. Stocked at rate of 35,000 fry per
acre, it takes 130-150 days to reach 5 inches.
Blue Catfish
Common name: Blue catfish
Scientific name: Ictalurus furcatus
Production potential: Moderate
Marketing potential:
Potential: Medium
Size: 0.75-2.5 lbs.
Market: Food, sport
Temperature requirements:
Growing: 78-82°F
Spawning: 72-82°F
Lethal: NA
Feed requirements:
Protein: 28-30%
Fat: 6-12%
Spawning requirements: Annual spring spawners that lay eggs in cavities at a rate of 3,000-4,000 eggs/lb. body weight. Eggs hatch in 7-8 days at 78°F. There is considerable interest in hybrids produced from channel catfish and blue catfish.
Most common production systems: Ponds and cages. Ponds stocked at a rate of 2,000-4,000 4-to 8- inch fingerlings per acre. Cages are stocked at a rate of 6-10 fish per cubic foot.
Common name: Channel catfish
Scientific name: Ictalurus punctatus
Production potential: Easy
Marketing potential:
Potential: High
Size: 0.75-2.5 lbs.
Market: Food, sport
Temperature requirements:
Growing: 80-85°F
Spawning: 72-82°F
Lethal: NA
Feed requirements:
Protein: 28-30%
Fat: 6-12%
Spawning requirements: Annual spring spawners that lay eggs in cavities at a rate of 3,000-4,000 eggs/lb. body weight. Eggs hatch in 7-8 days at 78°F.
Most common production systems: Ponds and cages. Ponds stocked at a rate of
2,000-4,000 4- to 8- inch fingerlings per acre. Cages are stocked at a rate of
6-10 fish per cubic foot.
Yellow Perch
Common name: Yellow perch, lake perch
Scientific name: Perca flavescens
Production potential: Moderate, due to slow growth of males
Marketing potential:
Potential: High
Size: 3-5 fish per lb.
Market: Food
Temperature requirements:
Growing: 55-78°F
Spawning: 50°F
Lethal: NA
Feed requirements:
Protein: 32-40%
Fat: NA
Spawning requirements: Fish spawn in the spring when water temperatures reach 50°F. Eggs are contained within a gelatinous ribbon. A 0.5 lb. female will produce 10,000-20,000 eggs. Eggs hatch in approximately two weeks at 53°F. Spawns may be obtained by stripping eggs from ripe females and thoroughly mixing with milt from males in a dry container. Water is added to activate the sperm and permit fertilization.
Most common production systems: Ponds stocked at 200,000-300,000 fry per acre
for production of 3- to 5- inch fingerlings. Fingerlings are stocked at 2,000
per acre for production of food size fish.
Hybrid Sunfish
Common name: Hybrid sunfish; is commonly the cross between the female green
sunfish and the male bluegill
Scientific name: Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis macrochirus
Production potential: Easy
Marketing potential:
Potential: Moderate
Size: 3 fish per lb. for food
1-3 inch fingerlings for stocking farm ponds.
Market: Sport, food
Temperature requirements:
Growing: 55-80°F
Spawning: 75-80°F (80°F optimal)
Lethal: NA
Feed requirements:
Protein: 32%
Fat: 8-12%
Spawning requirements: Spring spawners, nest builders, 50,000 eggs/lb. body weight
Most common production systems: Ponds
Red Ear Sunfish
Common name: Red ear sunfish (Shellcracker)
Scientific name: Lemois microlopus
Production potential: Easy
Marketing potential:
Potential: High
Size: 1-4 inches
Market: Sport
Temperature requirements:
Growing: 55-80°F
Spawning: 75-80°F
Lethal: NA
Feed requirements:
Protein: 32%
Fat: NA
Spawning requirements: Spawning starts at 75°F and is retarded at temperatures below 70°F. Males construct and guard nests, usually in colonies with other males. Females may produce 15,000-30,000 eggs per spawn.
Most common production systems: Ponds
Common name: Rainbow trout
Scientific name: Oncorhynchus mykiss
Production potential: Easy
Marketing potential:
Potential: High
Size: 0.5-1.5 lbs.
Market: Food, sport
Temperature requirements:
Growing: 50-60°F
Spawning: 50-55°F
Lethal: Above 70°F
Feed requirements:
Protein: 45-50%
Fat: 12-15%
Spawning requirements: Spring and fall spawning strains producing 500-10,000 eggs depending on size of female. Eggs hatch in 24-31 days at 50-55°F.
Most common production systems: Raceways and net pens
Common name: Walleye
Scientific name: Stitzostedion vitreum
Production potential: Moderate for fingerlings, difficult for food size due to their cannibalistic nature
Marketing potential:
Potential: High
Size: 2-4 inches for fingerlings; 1-3 lbs. for food size
Market: Food, sport
Temperature requirements:
Growing: 69-72°F
Spawning: 40-50°F
Lethal: NA
Feed requirements:
Protein: 45%
Fat: 10-15%
Spawning requirements: Broodfish produce 30,000 eggs/lb. body weight. Spawns may be obtained by stripping eggs from ripe females and mixing thoroughly with milt from males in a dry container. Water is added to activate the sperm and permit fertilization. Eggs hatch in about 10 days at 44-55°F.
Most common production systems: Finglerings are produced in fertilized ponds stocked at 100,000-150,000 fry per acre. Food fish may be produced in ponds or cages if cannibalism is prevented by grading to maintain a uniform size.