Abstract
The low return rate of fish released for stock enhancement has often been attributed to hatchery-reared fish having inferior behavioral characteristics. We tried to improve the behavioral characteristic of red sea bream (Pagrus major) juveniles by using a net-chasing treatment. The fish were provided with 2 min of net chasing twice daily for 3 weeks, following which their behavioral characteristics (emergence from a start area, avoidance response to novel stimulus, and foraging following transfer between tanks) were individually tested and compared with a control group. A predator exposure test was then conducted using marbled rockfish (Sebastiscus marmoratus). Net-chased fish exhibited a shorter latency to emergence, a higher avoidance rate, and an earlier foraging time than the control fish, indicating that the net-chasing treatment may improve adaptability for environmental change and alertness to a novel object. The net-chased fish also exhibited a better survival rate than the control fish, with an odds ratio of 6.76. We suggest that net-chasing training represents an easy and efficient method for improving the behavior of fish for stock enhancement.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 861-867 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
| Volume | 75 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Aquatic Science