An integrated study of dietary lipid manipulation and thermal-refuge technology for overwintering red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in outdoor ponds

• Main Author: Boren, Ronald Scott
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Texas A&M University 1995
• Subjects: wildlife and fisheries sciences; Major wildlife and fisheries sciences; Red drum; Sciaenops ocellatus
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-1995-THESIS-B654

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to [e-mail], referencing the URI of the item. Includes bibliographical references. Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics. A commercial diet containing 10% lipid and an experimental diet consisting of the commercial diet with additional menhaden oil to provide 14.5% lipid were fed to separate groups of juvenile (100 g) red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). After 6 weeks of consuming these diets, subgroups of fish were stocked into 8, 0.04-ha earthen ponds, with or without thermal refuges, during January 1994. The thermal refuges, consisting of air-inflated domes of plastic sheeting covering one end of affected ponds, were designed to afford red drum sub-habitat warmer than other parts of the ponds. Geothermal water (22 OC) from a freshwater well heated the refuges. An opening in each refuge's pond-ward side provided access for the fish. Mean water temperatures inside the refuges were generally 1 'C or greater than open-pond temperatures. Fish were observed entering the refuges. The experiment ended, after a harsh cold-front, and it was observed A commercial diet containing 10% lipid and an experimental diet consisting of the commercial diet with additional menhaden oil to provide 14.5% lipid were fed to separate groups of juvenile (100 g) red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). After 6 weeks of consuming these diets, subgroups of fish were stocked into 8, 0.04-ha earthen ponds, with or without thermal refuges, during January 1994. The thermal refuges, consisting of air-inflated domes of plastic sheeting covering one end of affected ponds, were designed to afford red drum sub-habitat warmer than other parts of the ponds. Geothermal water (22 OC) from a freshwater well heated the refuges. An opening in each refuge's pond-ward side provided access for the fish. Mean water temperatures inside the refuges ...