Impact of Great Blue Heron Depredations on Channel Catfish Farms

Autor:	James F. Glahn, Junior O. King, D. Tommy King, Allen R. Stickley
Rok vydání:	1995
Předmět:	biology Dorosoma Foraging Aquatic Science biology.organism_classification Gambusia Lepomis Fishery Ictalurus biology.animal Heron Ardea Agronomy and Crop Science Catfish
Zdroj:	Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. 26:194-199
ISSN:	1749-7345 0893-8849
DOI:	10.1111/j.1749-7345.1995.tb00244.x
Popis:	With the growth of channel caffish Ictalurus punetatus production in the Delta Region of Mississippi over the last 30 years have come concurrent depredation problems caused by great blue herons Ardea herodias. Biomass in stomachs from herons collected at catfish farms averaged 41% catfish, 38% sunfish Lepomis sp., 17% shad Dorosoma cepedianum, and 4% gambusia Gambusia sp.; whereas observations of herons foraging indicated that 45% of the prey taken were gambusia. Our observational data indicate that herons take an average of 12 10-cm catfish fingerlings daily. The diurnal density of foraging herons on catfish ponds averaged 0.17 herons/ha in 1990, which means that the average 127-ha farm supports approximately 22 herons. Nocturnal foraging, especially on dark nights, appears to be minimal. If our data are approximately correct, the average catfish farm could be losing $30/ha per yr to herons, assuming that this catfish fingerling mortality can be attributed solely to heron depredation.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
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