| Abstract |
In order to determine the feasibility of fish culture in French Polynesia's lagoons, preliminary tests were performed in 1973 and 1974. Juveniles (7 to 10 g) of three Carangidae species (Caranx melampygus, C. elacate, C. ignobilis) were caught in the wild and transported to the laboratory; three lots were dispatched among two small tanks (500 liters) with 10 animals each and a floating cage (6 x 6 x 4 m; 1.5 cm mesh) with 900 animals. The range of water temperature was 25 ta 27 C, salinity was about 34.5 ppt, and pH was 8.2. Food was given in the form of a moist pellet consisting of 8O% dry powder mixed with fresh bonito flesh or troca flesh. Such a diet has a 40% protein content due essentially to fish meal (sun-dried lagoon fish). These moist pellets were well accepted, but dry pellets were spat out. Jack-fish culture in lagoons seems promising because of its desirable meat, high market value, and rapid growth rate. Studies are being carried out to demonstrate the economic feasibility of such a culture by reducing the cost of feed and by obtaining reproduction in captivity. [NOT CONTROLLED OCR] |
