Improving Hybrid Catfish Production Efficiency Through Triploid Induction

The profitability of commercial catfish production continues to decline due to increased feed and fuel costs, economic inflation, and increased imports of fish from countries with inexpensive labor and little regulation. In order to compete, catfish producers must become more efficient. Research has shown that hybridization of channel catfish eggs and blue catfish sperm produce progeny that exhibit faster growth, improved feed conversion efficiency, and improved disease resistance and yield, and are easier to harvest with a seine compared to either of the parental lines. Production of channel x blue hybrid embryos however, requires much more labor and requires a more regimented production schedule than traditional channel catfish production techniques. Although the number of hybrid fry produced on an annual basis is increasing, supply is still insufficient to meet demand. Induction of triploidy has increased survival rates in many hybrid fish species. Therefore, our objective is to develop or refine heat shocking and/or pressure shocks to induce triploid hybrid catfish. Research will focus on determining the optimal temperature and duration for heat shocks and the optimal pressure and duration for pressure shocks throughout the spawning season. Triploid and diploid hybrids will be stocked into replicated or triplicated 3 -5 acre ponds and 600 gallon tanks at 100,000 hybrid fry/ acre to determine initial production performance. An increase in survival of hybrid catfish embryos produced may represent an additional improvement that would significantly increase the number of hybrid fingerlings available for food fish production