Feasibility of cage culture of Asian seabass in coastal rivers of Bangladesh

Ashim Kumar Ghosh; Bipul Kumar Dey; Rahat Bin Shahid; Saikat Bain; Babu Kumar Roy; Md. Golam Sarower

doi:10.17017/j.fish.1124

Ashim Kumar Ghosh Fisheries and Marine Resource Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh; Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Ramna, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Bipul Kumar Dey Independent Researcher, Haarweg 249, Wageningen 6709 RS, Gelderland, The Netherlands
Rahat Bin Shahid Fisheries and Marine Resource Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh; School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Manchester M5 4WT, UK
Saikat Bain Fisheries and Marine Resource Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh
Babu Kumar Roy Fisheries and Marine Resource Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh
Md. Golam Sarower Fisheries and Marine Resource Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17017/j.fish.1124

Keywords: coastal rivers, Lates calcarifer, cage culture, stocking density, growth, feed, Bangladesh

Abstract

Despite its aquaculture potential, Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) has not yet been adopted for cage culture in Bangladesh. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of cage culture of this species in coastal rivers of Bangladesh. A total of six cages (18 m³ each) were installed in a coastal river and each was stocked with 50 fish (7.70 ± 0.18 g). Three feeding treatments were applied: 100% live feed (live and/or trashed juvenile tilapia) (T₁); 50% live feed with 50% formulated feed (T₂); and 100% formulated feed (T₃). The experimental fish were reared for 12 weeks and fed at 8% of their body weight during the initial 3 weeks and at 6% during the later weeks. Fish refused formulated feed. Survival in T₃ (64%) was significantly lower compared to that in T₁ (88%) or T₂ (82%) but did not differ between T₁ and T₂. Mean specific growth rates (SGR) were 1.66, 1.12, and 0.90 % d^–1; daily growth rates (DGR) were 2.20, 0.74, and 0.44 g, and weight gain (WG) values were 182.50, 61.10, and 36.50 g in T₁, T₂, and T₃, respectively. SGR values significantly differed among the treatments. DGR and WG values in T₁ were significantly higher than that in T₂ or T₃ but did not differ between T₂ and T₃. Results indicate that cage culture of Asian seabass in Bangladesh requires live and/or trash fish as feed, or else advances in domestication and artificial feed development.

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