Paul L. Shafland

Suppression of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus) fingerling production in 0.01 ha ponds with high blue tilapia (Tilapia aurea) densities (760-1,900 kg/ha; 1,300-2,500 fish/ha) was studied to determine if the suppression is caused by direct competition for spawning sites. Bass spawned successfully in 8 of 9 ponds with tilapia but mean (x = 340) production of bass fingerlings was 84% less than in ponds without tilapia (x = 2183; N = 3). Difference in young-of-year bass production between ponds with and without tilapia was statistically significant; however, differences...

In pond predation studies, 4 total length (TL) groups (152 - 406 mm TL) of Florida largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridaiu.Ls) were each provided 4 length groups (51 - 140 mm TL) of blue tilapia (Tilapia aurea) as forage. Estimated maximum length of tilapia that 38 - 500 mm TL bass can swallow ranged from 36 61% of the bass's total length. Bass <254 mm TL ate tilapia which approximated the maximum estimated length they could swallow. Bass >381 mm TL rarely ate tilapia >27% of their total length. Regression analysis of blue tilapia total length (mm) versus body depth (D;...

Culturability of snook (Centropomus undecimalis) was evaluated in laboratory studies during the summers of 1975-1977. This is the first report of snook being reared from artificially fertilized eggs. No snook survived longer than II days in the 1975 experiments, although about 50 and 250 were reared through metamorphosis and beyond in the experiments of 1976 and 1977, respectively. These snook were reared in closed saltwater rearing systems for 14-16 days, after which they were converted to fresh water and stocked in 0.01 ha ponds. In our studies, snook were not cannibalistic at sizes less...