Abstract

Two polyculture studies involving red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) and several North American fish species were conducted in 0.14 ha ponds from 1975 to 1977 at Ben Hur Fann, Louisiana State University, USA. In study one (Tuten, 1977), red swamp crawfish stocked at 56 kg/ha were combined in polyculture with channel catfish (Ictalurus unctatus stocked at 6672 fish/ha , bigmouth buffalofish (lctiobus cyprinellus) at 8 fish/ha, 287 and paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) at 52 fish/ha. Control ponds were stocked in the same manner except catfish were excluded. Catfish were fed and temporarily confined to floating cages until after crawfish harvesting was completed. Crawfish were harvested by trapping from December 1975 to May 1976. Established crawfish management procedures were followed and crawfish production averaged 1167 net kg/ha for all ponds. Ponds were drained in October, 1976, when remaining species were harvested. Net production by fish species in ponds with catfish averaged as follows: catfish -- 3191 kg/ha, bigmouth buffalofish -- 302 kg/ha, and paddlefish -- 109 kg/ha. Net production by fish species in ponds without catfish averaged as follows: bigmouth buffalofish -- 140 kg/ha and paddlefish 93 kg/ha. Total net production from polyculture averaged 4910 kg/ha in ponds with catfish and 1221 kg/ha in ponds without catfish. In study two (Green, 1978), red swamp crawfish stocked at 0 kg/ha were combined in polyculture with channel catfish stocked at 6523 or 1631 fish/ha, bigmouth x black hybrid buffalofish (♀ l. cyprinellus x ♂ I. niger) at 371 fish/ha, and golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) at 34 kg/ha. Catfish were fed and confined to floating cages for the entire study. Using the same ponds, study two immediately followed study one so that established crawfish management procedures could not be followed. Ponds were not refilled after study one until late January 1977. Crawfish were harvested by trapping from March to June 1977. Crawfish production averaged only 143 net kg/ha for all ponds. Net production by fish species in ponds with four cages (6523 fish/ha) of catfish averaged as follows: catfish -- 939 kg/ha, hybrid buffalofish -- 325 kg/ha, and golden shiner -- 117 kg/ha. Net production by fish species in ponds with one cage (1631 fish/ha) of catfish averaged as follows: catfish -- 318 kg/ha, hybrid buffalofish -- 343 kg/ha, and golden shiner -- 15 kg/ha. Total net production from polyculture averaged 1510 kg/ha in ponds with four cages of catfish and 834 kg/ha in ponds with one cage of catfish.

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