Growth of juvenile fat snook Centropomus parallelus in cages at three stocking densities

Abstract

Survival and growth parameters were evaluated in juvenile fat snook Centropomus parallelus held at different stocking densities in floating cages. Juveniles of 156 Days After Hatching (DAH) (5.7 ± 1.27 g wet weight; 8.5 ± 0.69 cm total length: mean ± SD) stocked at 50, 100 and 200 fish/m³ in 1 m³ cages, presented no difference in survival and growth as wet weight, total and standard length, specific growth rate, and coefficient of variation for weight and total length, after 59 days of experiment (P> 0.05). Specific growth rate and food conversion ratio were near 0.9%/day and 1.6, respectively, at the densities tested (P>0.05). Feeding behavior of fat snook was directly related to light condition as higher feed consumption occurred at hours of lower sunlight exposure on the fish cages. From the results obtained in the present study, the use of stocking densities up to 200 fish/m³ did not affect survival, growth performance and food conversion ratio of juveniles of fat snook. However, final biomass and production per area were significantly different, being higher at 200 fish/m³, density considered, among the stocking densities tested, the most adequate for growing fat snook at the juvenile phase in cages.