R. O. Smitherman

Striped bass (Marone saxatilis) from the Apalachicola River, Florida; Chattahoochee-Flint River, Georgia; Ogeechee River, Georgia; Savannah River, Georgia; Santee-Cooper River, South Carolina; Tallapoosa River, Alabama; and Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, were examined for polymorphism in their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genotype. The Xba I site loss that is supposed to identify individuals with matemallineage from Gulf Coast stocks was found in some fish from the Apalachicola and Chattahoochee-Flint rivers, as well as one individual from the Ogeechee River. Additionally, a unique Bgl I site gain...

Thirty-six enzyme loci were surveyed for 22 largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) populations from 7 watersheds in Alabama. Twenty-one loci were polymorphic. Nei's normalized genetic identity (I) and Rogers' genetic similarity (S) showed little divergence among the populations (I = 0.990 and S = 0.9792). However, several drainages contained unique alleles in frequencies greater than 0.05 and several alleles were identified that were not found in a previous nationwide survey. Significant intrapopulational heterogeneity was indicated by hierarchical F-statistics and contingency chi-square...

Blue catfish (lctalurus furcatus) , channel catfish (I. punctatus) , white catfish (I. catus) , and their hybrids channel x blue, blue x channel, channel x white, and white x blue were produced and grown to an average total length of 150 mm and weight of 30 g in earthen ponds. Blue catfish (P < 0.0 I) and white catfish (P < 0.02) were more uniform in length than channel catfish. The channel x blue hybrid was more uniform in length than its reciprocal blue x channel hybrid and channel catfish (P <0.02). Uniformity of channel x white and white x blue hybrids was not different from...

Two populations of channel catfish (lctalurus punctatus) with different histories of domestication-Marion (Alabama) and Kansas-were grown in earthen ponds at 7,500/ha. The largest 10% of each population were selected when population mean weights were 500 g. The reproductive performance of these selects was compared to that of brood from random control populations. Data were analyzed for each strain then pooled and re-analyzed. No differences were found in spawning day, spawning rate, hatchability of eggs and survival of sac fry. Fecundity (eggs deposited) was increased (P < 0.05) in the...

Hybrid (blue lctalurus furcatus x channel l. punctatus) channel catfish were grown separately at 3000/acre in 0.1-acre ponds for a growth period of 220 days. The average net yield was 3,752 pounds/acre for the hybrid catfish and 3,262 pounds/acre for the channel catfish. This difference was significant (P<0.0l with the hybrid catfish averaging 13.5 percent more pounds/acre than the channel catfish. When the two fish were compared in other commercially important aspects, the hybrid catfish was captured more easily by seining, more uniform in size, and had greater dress·out percentage....

Channel catfish were cultured alone, and in combination with Tilapia aurea, Israeli carp, and hybrid huffalofish in O.l-acre earthen ponds. Studies were conducted on the stomach contents ofthese species in May, July. and October. During the study the stomachs of 243 channel catfish, 17 adult hybrid buffalofish, 85 fingerling hybrid buffalofish, 157 tilapia, and 7 Israeli carp were examined. Supplemental feed comprised 87% ofthe channel catfish diet. 58% in the tilapia, 42% in the adult hybrid buffalofish, 56% in the hybrid bulfalofish fingerlings, and87% in the Israeli carp. Net yields...

Parasite-free snails of the genus Physa were experimentally infected with the miracidia of Posthodiplostomum minimum, the metacercariae of which were originally obtained from bluegills, Lepomis macrochirus. Twelve species of fish representing 5 families (Cyprinidae, Cichlidae, Centrarchidae, Poeciliidae and Ictaluridae) were exposed to cercariae from the infected snails. Two sunfish hybrids (female green sunfish, L. cyanellus X male redeal' sunfish, L. microlophus; and female bluegill X male redeal') were also exposed to cercariae of P. minimum. Only members of the family Centrarchidae...