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Evaluation of the Aquaculture Potential
of Differing Strains of Striped Bass
While the striped bass aquaculture industry has expanded by more than 600 percent since the 1980s, one limit to continued expansion is relatively high consumer prices – a consequence of high production costs. One way to lower these costs is to maximize growing efficiency from egg to harvest size. While genetic manipulation and other molecular techniques offer one means for achieving these aims, the most expedient strategy is to employ strains of striped bass that have traits for fast growth and efficient food assimilation.
It is well documented that strains of species from different geographical areas often exhibit major differences in performance measures as growth rate, disease resistance and feed conversion efficiency. One preliminary study found a 30 percent variance in growth rate between different geographic strains. The striped bass industry currently relies on very few strains of the species for commercial production of pure and hybrid fish. In this project, Reginal Harrell will evaluate growth performance characteristics of five strains of striped bass representing a wide geographic range and unique genetic diversity. His aim is to determine the fastest growing and best surviving strains under different rearing systems. Industry support for this project is strong – identifying superior strains of striped bass represents the most rapid and cost effective means of improving the production of striped bass; these strains are likely to be useful immediately as broodstock for the industry and to form the basis for projected improvements in selective breeding efforts.
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Reginal M. Harrell
UMCES Horn Point Laboratory
University System of Maryland
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