EFFECT OF STOCKING DENSITY ON GROWTH AND WATER-QUALITY FOR LARGEMOUTHBASS MICROPTERUS-SALMOIDES GROWOUT IN PONDS

Juvenile largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, trained to accept arti ficial diets, were stocked into six 0.04-ha ponds at stocking densitie s of either 6,175 or 12,350 fish/ha. Fish were fed a floating custom-f ormulated diet, containing 44% protein, once daily to satiation for 12 mo (May 1994-May 1995). At final harvest, the total yield of fish was significantly greater (P < 0.05) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly lower, for bass stocked at the higher density (4,598 kg/ ha and 2.3, respectively) than when stocked at the lower density (2,35 4 kg/ha and 3.3, respectively). There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in average weight, length, or survival of bass stocked at the two densities. Averaged over the study period, there were no signific ant differences (P > 0.05) in total ammonia-nitrogen (TAN), nitrite-ni trogen, or un-ionized ammonia concentrations in ponds in which bass we re stacked at the two densities. These data indicate that largemouth b ass of the size used in this study are amenable to pond culture at den sities of at least 12,350 fish/ha and that higher stocking densities m ay be possible.