New approaches for growth improvement in pejerrey <i>Odontesthes bonariensis</i> (Valenciennes, 1835) culture (Atherinomorpha: Atherinopsidae)

The pejerrey is the most important recreational species in shallow temperate lakes and reservoirs of Argentina and the attempts to develop its culture have started a century ago. A common constraint of pejerrey aquaculture is its poor growth under traditional intensive rearing methods. The aim of this study was to assess by innovative culture methods for pejerrey if the species might maintain high growth rates, and to discuss if growth rate is a critical constraint for the species culture. Four floating cages were installed at La Salada de Monasterio lake and each one was stocked with 300 juveniles. From January through March all fish were exposed to natural zooplankton as food source, whereas from April to September two cages were supplied daily with artificial food. The fish exposed to artificial supplementary diets exhibited significantly higher growth rates than those in the control cages, and exceeded the values known in pejerrey culture. The results suggest that the species potential growth is not fully exploited by common intensive methods and it can be improved by semi-intensive techniques. Indeed, if a better understanding of the species nutritional requirements is achieved, pejerrey culture could be enhanced.El pejerrey es la especie de mayor importancia deportiva en lagos someros templados y embalses de Argentina y el desarrollo de su acuicultura data de cien años atrás. Un impedimento común para el desarrollo de la acuicultura del pejerrey es el pobre crecimiento que manifiesta bajo cultivo intensivo. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la posibilidad de alcanzar y mantener altas tasas de crecimiento en el pejerrrey mediante cultivo semi-intensivo. Se instalaron cuatro jaulas flotantes en la laguna La Salada de Monasterio, sembrándose cada una con 300 juveniles (10.22 ±0.38cm; 6.52 ±0.82g). Desde enero hasta marzo los peces se alimentaron con el zooplancton natural de la laguna, mientras que desde abril hasta septiembre dos jaulas fueron suplementadas diariamente con alimento balanceado, dejándose las otras dos como controles. Los peces bajo dietas suplementadas mostraron crecimientos significativamente superiores (17.5 ±0.98cm; 41.05 ±8.55g) a los de las jaulas control (15.02 ±0cm ; 23.5 ±0.84g), excediendo incluso los conocidos en el cultivo de pejerrey en períodos similares. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que el potencial de crecimiento del pejerrey no está siendo explotado en su totalidad bajo las técnicas de cultivo tradicionales y puede mejorarse mediante el cultivo semi-intensivo. En consecuencia es necesaria una mejor comprensión de los requerimientos nutricionales del pejerrey para incrementar sus tasas de crecimiento y así mejorar su cultivo.Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet"Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnica

New approaches for growth improvement in pejerrey <i>Odontesthes bonariensis</i> (Valenciennes, 1835) culture (Atherinomorpha: Atherinopsidae)

The pejerrey is the most important recreational species in shallow temperate lakes and reservoirs of Argentina and the attempts to develop its culture have started a century ago. A common constraint of pejerrey aquaculture is its poor growth under traditional intensive rearing methods. The aim of this study was to assess by innovative culture methods for pejerrey if the species might maintain high growth rates, and to discuss if growth rate is a critical constraint for the species culture. Four floating cages were installed at La Salada de Monasterio lake and each one was stocked with 300 juveniles. From January through March all fish were exposed to natural zooplankton as food source, whereas from April to September two cages were supplied daily with artificial food. The fish exposed to artificial supplementary diets exhibited significantly higher growth rates than those in the control cages, and exceeded the values known in pejerrey culture. The results suggest that the species potential growth is not fully exploited by common intensive methods and it can be improved by semi-intensive techniques. Indeed, if a better understanding of the species nutritional requirements is achieved, pejerrey culture could be enhanced.El pejerrey es la especie de mayor importancia deportiva en lagos someros templados y embalses de Argentina y el desarrollo de su acuicultura data de cien años atrás. Un impedimento común para el desarrollo de la acuicultura del pejerrey es el pobre crecimiento que manifiesta bajo cultivo intensivo. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la posibilidad de alcanzar y mantener altas tasas de crecimiento en el pejerrrey mediante cultivo semi-intensivo. Se instalaron cuatro jaulas flotantes en la laguna La Salada de Monasterio, sembrándose cada una con 300 juveniles (10.22 ±0.38cm; 6.52 ±0.82g). Desde enero hasta marzo los peces se alimentaron con el zooplancton natural de la laguna, mientras que desde abril hasta septiembre dos jaulas fueron suplementadas diariamente con alimento balanceado, dejándose las otras dos como controles. Los peces bajo dietas suplementadas mostraron crecimientos significativamente superiores (17.5 ±0.98cm; 41.05 ±8.55g) a los de las jaulas control (15.02 ±0cm ; 23.5 ±0.84g), excediendo incluso los conocidos en el cultivo de pejerrey en períodos similares. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que el potencial de crecimiento del pejerrey no está siendo explotado en su totalidad bajo las técnicas de cultivo tradicionales y puede mejorarse mediante el cultivo semi-intensivo. En consecuencia es necesaria una mejor comprensión de los requerimientos nutricionales del pejerrey para incrementar sus tasas de crecimiento y así mejorar su cultivo.Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet"Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnica

New approaches for growth improvement in pejerrey <i>Odontesthes bonariensis</i> (Valenciennes, 1835) culture (Atherinomorpha: Atherinopsidae)

The pejerrey is the most important recreational species in shallow temperate lakes and reservoirs of Argentina and the attempts to develop its culture have started a century ago. A common constraint of pejerrey aquaculture is its poor growth under traditional intensive rearing methods. The aim of this study was to assess by innovative culture methods for pejerrey if the species might maintain high growth rates, and to discuss if growth rate is a critical constraint for the species culture. Four floating cages were installed at La Salada de Monasterio lake and each one was stocked with 300 juveniles. From January through March all fish were exposed to natural zooplankton as food source, whereas from April to September two cages were supplied daily with artificial food. The fish exposed to artificial supplementary diets exhibited significantly higher growth rates than those in the control cages, and exceeded the values known in pejerrey culture. The results suggest that the species potential growth is not fully exploited by common intensive methods and it can be improved by semi-intensive techniques. Indeed, if a better understanding of the species nutritional requirements is achieved, pejerrey culture could be enhanced.El pejerrey es la especie de mayor importancia deportiva en lagos someros templados y embalses de Argentina y el desarrollo de su acuicultura data de cien años atrás. Un impedimento común para el desarrollo de la acuicultura del pejerrey es el pobre crecimiento que manifiesta bajo cultivo intensivo. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la posibilidad de alcanzar y mantener altas tasas de crecimiento en el pejerrrey mediante cultivo semi-intensivo. Se instalaron cuatro jaulas flotantes en la laguna La Salada de Monasterio, sembrándose cada una con 300 juveniles (10.22 ±0.38cm; 6.52 ±0.82g). Desde enero hasta marzo los peces se alimentaron con el zooplancton natural de la laguna, mientras que desde abril hasta septiembre dos jaulas fueron suplementadas diariamente con alimento balanceado, dejándose las otras dos como controles. Los peces bajo dietas suplementadas mostraron crecimientos significativamente superiores (17.5 ±0.98cm; 41.05 ±8.55g) a los de las jaulas control (15.02 ±0cm ; 23.5 ±0.84g), excediendo incluso los conocidos en el cultivo de pejerrey en períodos similares. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que el potencial de crecimiento del pejerrey no está siendo explotado en su totalidad bajo las técnicas de cultivo tradicionales y puede mejorarse mediante el cultivo semi-intensivo. En consecuencia es necesaria una mejor comprensión de los requerimientos nutricionales del pejerrey para incrementar sus tasas de crecimiento y así mejorar su cultivo.Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet"Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnica

Evaluación de modelos de crecimiento en difrerentes condiciones de cultivo de pejerrey (Odontesthes bonariensis)

Fil: Solimano, Patricio José. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Escuela de producción, tecnología y medio ambiente; ArgentinaFil: Garcia de Souza, Javier Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Limnología Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet; ArgentinaFil: Maiztegui, Tomás. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Limnología Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet; ArgentinaFil: Bazzani, J.L.. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Escuela de producción, tecnología y medio ambiente; ArgentinaFil: Baigún, Claudio Rafael Mariano. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Colautti, Darío César. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Limnología Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet; Argentin

Sistema de cultivo mixto en jaulas y estanques para el pejerrey <i>Odontesthes bonariensis</i>

In the last years pejerrey culture has been developed in an intensive form using circular tanks. Employing this system is possible to obtain fish of commercial size but the production costs are high making this activity not profitable. An alternative to reduce costs is to rear pejerrey employing a mix system using cages in natural lagoons anda posterior culture in tanks until commercial size (250g). In a first step, pejerrey fish hatched and reared for 25 days at IIB-INTECH aquaculture facilities were transferred to floating cages of 16 m3 (50 fish/m3) placed at Lacombe Lagoon (Chascomús County). After 11 months, and only eating natural food, these fish had a total length (TL) of 15 ± 0.19 cm and a weight of (W) 25.27 ± 1.5 g. During this period of time the mean survival was 18 %. Then, 400 fish were transported to the IIB-INTECH and placed in an outdoor tank of 20.000 liters with an open water flow system and a salinity of 15 g/L. They were fed twice a day to satiation with artificial diets designed for pejerrey. After 26 months posthatching the fish had a TL of 30.66 ± 0.65 cm and a weight of 254.79 ± 9.72 g. During this period the mean water temperature was 18 °C and the survival was around 95 %. Taking together these results we conclude that is possible to rear pejerrey in a mix system until the commercial size in 26 months, reducing the costs of the first year. This method also gives the possibility to produce juveniles in a cheap way or to grow pejerrey up to commercial size as independent activities.Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet

Sistema de cultivo mixto en jaulas y estanques para el pejerrey Odontesthes bonariensis

In the last years pejerrey culture has been developed in an intensive form using circular tanks. Employing this system is possible to obtain fish of commercial size but the production costs are high making this activity not profitable. An alternative to reduce costs is to rear pejerrey employing a mix system using cages in natural lagoons anda posterior culture in tanks until commercial size (250g). In a first step, pejerrey fish hatched and reared for 25 days at IIB-INTECH aquaculture facilities were transferred to floating cages of 16 m3 (50 fish/m3) placed at Lacombe Lagoon (Chascomús County). After 11 months, and only eating natural food, these fish had a total length (TL) of 15 ± 0.19 cm and a weight of (W) 25.27 ± 1.5 g. During this period of time the mean survival was 18 %. Then, 400 fish were transported to the IIB-INTECH and placed in an outdoor tank of 20.000 liters with an open water flow system and a salinity of 15 g/L. They were fed twice a day to satiation with artificial diets designed for pejerrey. After 26 months posthatching the fish had a TL of 30.66 ± 0.65 cm and a weight of 254.79 ± 9.72 g. During this period the mean water temperature was 18°C and the survival was around 95%. Taking together these results we conclude that is possible to rear pejerrey in a mix system until the commercial size in 26 months, reducing the costs of the first year. This method also gives the possibility to produce juveniles in a cheap way or to grow pejerrey up to commercial size as independent activities.En los últimos años, el cultivo de pejerrey se ha desarrollado de forma intensiva utilizando tanques circulares. Empleado este sistema es posible obtener peces de tamaño comercial, pero los costos de producción son altos, lo que hace que esta actividad no sea rentable. Una alternativa para reducir los costos es criar a pejerrey utilizando un sistema mixto que usa jaulas en lagunas naturales y un cultivo posterior en tanques hasta un tamaño comercial (250 g). En un primer paso, los pejerreyes eclosionados y criados durante 25 días en las instalaciones de acuicultura IIB-INTECH se transfirieron a jaulas flotantes de 16 m3 (50 peces/m3) ubicadas en la Laguna Lacombe (Chascomús). Después de 11 meses, y solo comiendo alimentos naturales, estos peces tenían una longitud total (TL) de 15 ± 0.19 cm y un peso de (W) 25.27 ± 1.5 g. Durante este período la supervivencia media fue del 18%. Luego, 400 peces se transportaron al IIB-INTECH y se colocaron en un tanque exterior de 20,000 litros con un sistema de flujo de agua abierto y una salinidad de 15 g /L. Fueron alimentados dos veces al día a saciedad con dietas artificiales diseñadas para pejerrey. Después de 26 meses, el pescado tenía un TL de 30.66 ± 0.65 cm y un peso de 254.79 ± 9.72 g. Durante este período, la temperatura media del agua fue de 18°C y la supervivencia fue de alrededor del 95%. Tomando en conjunto estos resultados, llegamos a la conclusión de que es posible criar a pejerrey en un sistema mixto hasta el tamaño comercial en 26 meses, lo que reduce los costos del primer año. Este método también brinda la posibilidad de producir juveniles de una manera barata o que el pejerrey alcance un tamaño comercial como actividades independientes

Sistema de cultivo mixto en jaulas y estanques para el pejerrey <i>Odontesthes bonariensis</i>

In the last years pejerrey culture has been developed in an intensive form using circular tanks. Employing this system is possible to obtain fish of commercial size but the production costs are high making this activity not profitable. An alternative to reduce costs is to rear pejerrey employing a mix system using cages in natural lagoons anda posterior culture in tanks until commercial size (250g). In a first step, pejerrey fish hatched and reared for 25 days at IIB-INTECH aquaculture facilities were transferred to floating cages of 16 m3 (50 fish/m3) placed at Lacombe Lagoon (Chascomús County). After 11 months, and only eating natural food, these fish had a total length (TL) of 15 ± 0.19 cm and a weight of (W) 25.27 ± 1.5 g. During this period of time the mean survival was 18 %. Then, 400 fish were transported to the IIB-INTECH and placed in an outdoor tank of 20.000 liters with an open water flow system and a salinity of 15 g/L. They were fed twice a day to satiation with artificial diets designed for pejerrey. After 26 months posthatching the fish had a TL of 30.66 ± 0.65 cm and a weight of 254.79 ± 9.72 g. During this period the mean water temperature was 18 °C and the survival was around 95 %. Taking together these results we conclude that is possible to rear pejerrey in a mix system until the commercial size in 26 months, reducing the costs of the first year. This method also gives the possibility to produce juveniles in a cheap way or to grow pejerrey up to commercial size as independent activities.Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet

Criar pejerrey en jaulas flotantes: ¿dónde? ¿cómo? y ¿cuándo?

“Menú del día: Pejerrey grillado con papas rústicas” se lee en un cartel estratégicamente ubicado en la costanera de Chascomús, y nos hace preguntarnos: ¿De dónde viene ese pejerrey? Quizás de una laguna con pesca comercial habilitada. Lo que es muy poco probable es que venga de “criadero” como muchas veces se dice. Ciertamente, en la Estación Hidrobiológica de Chascomús hace ya tiempo que se lleva a cabo la cría en estanques, desde obtener los desoves hasta llevar a las crías hasta tamaño de consumo. Pero, por una cuestión fundamentalmente de costos, los productores aún no apuestan a invertir en la acuicultura de la especie. De ahí que todavía no existe la posibilidad de que el producto de criadero abastezca a las pescaderías o a los restaurantes.Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet

Seasonality effects over the ecological aquaculture of the native zooplanktivorous fish from South America Odontesthes bonariensis

Ecological aquaculture systems consider the natural and social environments in which they are situated in the search to contribute to environmental sustainability. In South America, the aquaculture of the native zooplanktivorous fish Odontesthes bonariensis (“pejerrey”) has some constraints that could be overcome by applying extensive culture systems following an ecosystemic approach. This study represents the first attempt to develop ecological aquaculture in the region.An experiment of extensive cage culturewas carried out in La Salada de Monasterio Lake to answer how seasonal changes, both in physico-chemical and zooplankton features, affect the performance of pejerrey culture. Three successive rearing trials were carried out in spring, summer and autumn. The cageswere stockedwith pejerrey; whereas others (controls)were left without fish. Lake zooplankton abundance, biomass and species composition were different among seasons, with maximum abundance mean values during summer and maximum biomass mean values during spring. The zooplankton abundance found in cageswithout fish was higher than that registered in cages with fish, but no differences in species composition among those cages were detected. The pejerrey showed selective feeding habits throughout the entire experiment, and they fed mostly on copepods and cladocerans of N0.7 mm during spring and summer, especially after reaching 4 cm in total length, and on smaller copepods and cladocerans during autumn. The contribution of the different sizes of zooplankton to the gut contents was related to availability and to fish size, and the access to bigger zooplankton appeared to be a critical factor to promote better growth performance. The bigger fish were obtained in spring, when zooplankton biomass was maximum in the lake with greater representation of large cladocerans, with final fish weight eight times higher than that obtained in summer and fifty times greater than that obtained in autumn. The production obtained in spring was one and two orders of magnitude higher than that found in summer and autumn. The multiple linear regressions selected support the inference that seasonal temperature and zooplankton variations have effects on pejerrey growth in floating cages. Pampean lakes could be suitable environments to support pejerrey ecological aquaculture, and spring emerges as the better season to start an extensive culture that takes advantage of the zooplankton composition and dynamics. Statement of relevance to commercial aquaculture: Alternative tool to overcome constraints in pejerrey culture.Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet

Sistema de cultivo mixto en jaulas y estanques para el pejerrey <i>Odontesthes bonariensis</i>

In the last years pejerrey culture has been developed in an intensive form using circular tanks. Employing this system is possible to obtain fish of commercial size but the production costs are high making this activity not profitable. An alternative to reduce costs is to rear pejerrey employing a mix system using cages in natural lagoons anda posterior culture in tanks until commercial size (250g). In a first step, pejerrey fish hatched and reared for 25 days at IIB-INTECH aquaculture facilities were transferred to floating cages of 16 m3 (50 fish/m3) placed at Lacombe Lagoon (Chascomús County). After 11 months, and only eating natural food, these fish had a total length (TL) of 15 ± 0.19 cm and a weight of (W) 25.27 ± 1.5 g. During this period of time the mean survival was 18 %. Then, 400 fish were transported to the IIB-INTECH and placed in an outdoor tank of 20.000 liters with an open water flow system and a salinity of 15 g/L. They were fed twice a day to satiation with artificial diets designed for pejerrey. After 26 months posthatching the fish had a TL of 30.66 ± 0.65 cm and a weight of 254.79 ± 9.72 g. During this period the mean water temperature was 18 °C and the survival was around 95 %. Taking together these results we conclude that is possible to rear pejerrey in a mix system until the commercial size in 26 months, reducing the costs of the first year. This method also gives the possibility to produce juveniles in a cheap way or to grow pejerrey up to commercial size as independent activities.Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet