Rice-fish culture: feeding, growth and yield of two size classes of Puntius gonionotus Bleeker and Oreochromis spp. in Bangladesh

• Published in: Aquaculture Vol. 154; no. 3; pp. 261 - 281
• Main Authors: Haroon, A.K.Y., Pittman, K.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 18.08.1997; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Subjects: Aquaculture; Diet; Ecological conditions; Feeds; Fish; Freshwater; Growth; Oreochromis; Puntius gonionotus; Rice; Rice-fish; Tawes; Tilapia; Yield; Bangladesh; Tilapia; Yield; Diet; Growth; Tawes; Rice-fish
• ISSN: 0044-8486; 1873-5622
• DOI: 10.1016/S0044-8486(97)00061-6

Concurrent rice-fish culture experiments were conducted in Bangladesh to compare and evaluate the feeding, growth, condition factor, survival and yields of two sizes of silver barb ( Puntius gonionotus) and tilapia ( Oreochromis spp.) in 1994 and 1995, respectively, and to compare paddy yield and ecological conditions between rice-fish and rice-alone situations. Survival, specific growth rate, condition factor and yields were better with the small-sized (5.6–6.1 cm) P. gonionotus than the larger-sized (8.8–9.6 cm) P. gonionotus and either sizes (4.0–7.5 and 9.5–14.7 cm) of Oreochromis spp. P. gonionotus was found to be a macrophytophagous column feeder with benthic foraging habit on tiny molluscs. There was clear evidence of its foraging on paddy grains. Conversely, Oreochromis spp. was found to be a detritivorous browser or surface grazer. Ontogenetic shifts in diet were pronounced in P. gonionotus while absent in Oreochromis spp. Best mean net fish yield was 271.03 kg ha −1 crop −1 with small P. gonionotus in 78 days culture, significantly higher than with Oreochromis spp. ( P < 0.05). Paddy yields were 1.5–3.7 t ha −1 crop −1 in rice-fish and 1.5–1.8 t ha −1 crop −1 in rice-alone culture with insignificant differences between the years ( P > 0.05). Water quality parameters were, in general, within the acceptable range for aquaculture. Small sizes of P. gonionotus should be preferred over the Oreochromis spp. for the integration of rice-fish nursery systems but further work should be done on the dietary importance of rice grains to P. gonionotus.