What should be noted when choosing yellow catfish farming varieties
Yellow catfish belongs to the order Siluriformes, family Bagridae, genus Pelteobagrus. There are many species of yellow catfish, including Pelteobagrus vachelli, Pelteobagrus eupogon, Pelteobagrus angusticeps, Pelteobagrus intermedius, Pelteobagrus nitidus, Pelteobagrus fulvidraco, and others. At present, the main farming targets are the common yellow catfish and Pelteobagrus vachelli (also called river yellow catfish). The main characteristics of these two varieties are:
1. Common yellow catfish: Its natural distribution is very wide, and its market adaptability is relatively good. Most markets nationwide prefer this variety. As a farming target, its adaptability is somewhat stronger and its growth is average, but the growth difference between sexes is very large. During farming, in order to improve farming results, female fish are generally culled; adjusting body color is not very difficult. Its disease resistance is not as good as that of Pelteobagrus vachelli, and its flesh quality is not very good either. The price of fry and fingerlings is low.
2. Pelteobagrus vachelli: Its natural distribution is somewhat narrower, and its market adaptability is not as good as that of the common yellow catfish. Apart from being favored in the Chongqing market, other markets do not like it very much. Its adaptability is not as good as that of the common yellow catfish, but its growth is very good, the best among all yellow catfish. The growth difference between sexes is also not as large as in the common yellow catfish, and during farming there is generally no need to cull female fish; adjusting body color is difficult. It has strong disease resistance and high farming yield; its flesh quality is very good. The price of fry and fingerlings is somewhat higher, but the overall fingerling cost is about the same as that of the common yellow catfish. It is the fastest-growing yellow catfish variety.
Therefore, when choosing a specific farming variety, we need to cater to market preferences and choose varieties that sell well. For example, when the two varieties are about equally popular in the market, it is recommended to choose to farm Pelteobagrus vachelli.