Detailed Explanation of Key Points in Artificial Breeding Technology for Yellow Catfish

Yellow catfish, also known as Wansi fish or Jiangsang fish, is a fecundity-type fish with strong adaptability and can be bred in various water bodies. It is easy to raise, commands a high price, and yields good returns. Its flesh is tender and its taste is delicious, making it a high-quality premium aquatic product that is increasingly favored by consumers.

Yellow catfish prefer to inhabit still or slow-flowing water. Its survival temperature range is wide, generally 0°C to 39°C, with the most suitable growth water temperature being 22°C to 28°C. The most suitable pH range for the water body is 7.0—8.5, and the suitable dissolved oxygen level is above 3.0 mg/L. Under natural conditions, fry that have just hatched from the membrane for 3 to 5 days absorb their own yolk as nutrition. At the fry and fingerling stage, they feed on rotifers, small cladocerans, aquatic earthworms, and other aquatic insects. In artificial breeding, they can be fed minced small fish and shrimp and mollusks, or compound feed can be provided.

Yellow catfish generally reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age for females and 3 years of age for males. The peak breeding period occurs at a water temperature of 23°C to 26°C, with a fecundity of 4000 to 6000 eggs per fish. Like carp and crucian carp, it produces adhesive and demersal eggs. Under a water temperature of 24°C to 26°C, fertilized eggs generally hatch into larval fish after 72 hours. Artificial breeding methods for yellow catfish include monoculture and polyculture.

The main measures for monoculture are: select a pond with fresh water quality, abundant dissolved oxygen, and convenient water intake and drainage, with an area of 2 to 3 mu and a water depth of 1 to 2 m. Install water intake and drainage screens and protective nets properly. After clearing silt from the pond and disinfecting with quicklime and bleaching powder, stock 2500 to 3000 winter fingerlings of yellow catfish about 3 cm in length per mu, or additionally stock 100 to 200 silver carp and bighead carp with a body length of 12 cm. After stocking, feed fresh earthworms, mussel meat, small fish, small shrimp, and other animal-based bait, with a daily feeding amount of 3% to 6% of the fish body weight. In the high-temperature seasons of summer and autumn, add and change water once every 7 to 10 days, each time to a depth of 30 to 40 cm, maintaining pond water transparency at 35 to 40 cm. To prevent fish diseases, fish species must be soaked and washed with medication during stocking. Generally, use 10 ppm potassium permanganate or a 2% to 4% salt solution to soak the fish species for 5 to 10 minutes. During the rearing period, every 15 to 20 days, broadcast bleaching powder and quicklime over the whole pond once, so that the pond water reaches concentrations of 1.2 ppm and 10 ppm respectively. Every month, use Chinese herbal medicines such as rhubarb and isatis root at an addition amount of 0.1% to 0.4% to make medicated bait, and feed continuously for 3 to 5 days. At the same time, try to avoid injuring the fish body during catching, stocking, and transportation, so as to prevent infection with saprolegniasis in the low-temperature seasons of early spring and autumn and winter. Monoculture can achieve a yield of 200 to 300 kg per mu.

The polyculture method is: in water surfaces such as net enclosures and ponds mainly used for raising the four major Chinese carps, or mainly used for raising tilapia, river crab, soft-shelled turtle, and other special aquatic products, stock 100 to 200 yellow catfish fingerlings of more than 3 cm per mu. Without affecting the yield of the main cultured species, 20 to 30 kg of yellow catfish with a body weight of 150 to 200 g each can be obtained per mu. Polyculturing yellow catfish can not only reduce the number of small miscellaneous fish and shrimp that compete with the main cultured fish for food and oxygen and increase the yield of the main cultured species, but can also effectively control parasitic diseases such as anchor worms in the cultured species.