UNLIKE OTHER LIVESTOCK, THE EATING HABITS OF A POND FULL OF FISHES CANNOT BE DIRECTLY MONITORED.

UNLIKE OTHER LIVESTOCK, THE EATING HABITS OF A POND FULL OF FISHES CANNOT BE DIRECTLY MONITORED. THIS LEADS TO IMPROPERFEEDING AND LIMITS THE FARMER'S ABILITY TO DETECT DISEASE AND CULTURE PROBLEMS. THIS PROPOSAL INVOLVES STUDYING THE FEASIBILITY OF MONITORING FISH FOOD CONSUMPTION BY INCORPORATING TRACE LEVELS OF ENCAPSULATED FLUORESCENT DYES IN FISH FOOD. THE TRACER RELEASE TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE GASTRIC ACTION DURING DIGESTION, AND THE FLUORESCENCE OFTHE WATER BECOMES A MEASURE OF FEEDING ACTIVITY. THE WORK PLAN INVOLVES DEVELOPING TECHNIQUES FOR ENCAPSULATING TRACERS AND INCORPORATING THESE CAPSULES WITH COMMERCIAL FISH FOOD INTO PELLETS, FEEDING THESE PELLETS TO CATFISH, AND MONITORING BOTH FEEDING ACTIVITY AND THE FLUORESCENCE OF THE WATER. THE LEVELS OF TRACERS NEEDED, THE RATE THESE TRACERS BIODEGRADE, AND ANY NATURAL INTERFERENCES WILL BE STUDIED.