Intensive Culture of Juvenile American Shad

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Abstract
American shad (Alosa sapidissima Wilson) were reared from fertilized eggs to fingerlings under intensive culture conditions. Eggs were incubated at 17 ± 1C (61-64 F) and averaged 70% hatch. Three-day-old fry were started on Artemia nauplii and converted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service open-formula diet when fish averaged 25mm (1 in) total length. Shad growth in length at 18 ± 2C (61-68 F) was asymptotic during larval and juvenile development, with one growth period evident from hatch to metamorphosis and another through juvenile development. Initial shad weight increases were rapid with gains as high as 7.1% per day during metamorphosis. Daily growth rates for both length and weight declined after the fish were 75 days old. Daily mortality rates were highest among first feeding fry, averaging 1.4% per day the initial 10 days and 2.1% per day for the next 5 days when most nonfeeding fry died. For every 10 k fry at hatch, approximately 7.1 k survived after 3 weeks, 6.3 k to metamorphosis, and 6.0...