Detailed Explanation of Key Points on Freshwater Bass Breeding Techniques

Bass is a fish that can live in both seawater and freshwater. Nowadays, the main species raised in captivity is freshwater bass, among which the California bass is relatively well known. Bass has delicate flesh and a delicious taste, and is deeply favored by consumers. Many farmers introduce stock for breeding rather than breeding them on their own, so do you know how bass reproduce? Let's take a look with Qinnong Web.

1. Cultivating broodstock

Select large fish aged 1-3 winters with a body weight of 1-4 jin as broodstock. The cultivation site should be relatively large, with good water quality and high dissolved oxygen in the water body. They can be polycultured with other edible fish, or monocultured in ponds with slight flowing water and convenient drainage and irrigation. The water depth should be about 2 m, and the area should preferably be 2-3 mu. For ease of management, generally about 100 broodstock are cultivated per mu. Some bighead carp can also be stocked among them to regulate water quality, and some small fish and shrimp can be stocked as feed. The daily feeding amount is 3% of the broodstock's body weight, and concentrated feeding is carried out one month before the broodstock spawns.

2. Selecting fish

After completing the work of cultivating broodstock, it is time to begin selecting fish species and distinguishing male from female. As for how to distinguish male from female bass, this must be judged based on their body shape and reproductive structure. The female fish has a thicker and shorter body. During the spawning season, the belly is enlarged and soft, springy when pressed, and the urogenital papilla is slightly protruding and reddish, with two openings, which are the openings of the oviduct and ureter respectively. The male fish has a longer and thinner body. During the breeding period, the belly has no obvious protrusion, and the urogenital papilla is sunken, with only one opening.

3. Building a spawning site

For the spawning site, cement ponds can be built, with the size and area depending on the breeding scale. On the pond bottom and around it, spawning nests are built one by one using polyethylene dense mesh sheets. The mesh sheets are pressed down around the edges with stones, and a layer of small stones is spread in the middle of the mesh sheets. Before releasing the fish, disinfection and dealkalization treatment must be carried out first to prevent excessive alkalinity from causing fish death. If a pond is chosen as the spawning site, the pond should also first be cleared and disinfected, and then the same operation as for the cement pond should be repeated to build spawning nests.

4. Induced spawning

In..., from March to May each year, when the water temperature is maintained at 18-35 degrees, each female fish is injected with carp pituitary. Generally, the injection dose is determined according to body weight, with 5-6 mg injected per kg, while male fish receive half of this amount. Generally, it takes effect in about 20 hours.

5. Fertilization

After injection, the bass are placed in the spawning site at a ratio of 1:1 for spawning. Generally, twenty to thirty pairs of broodstock are stocked per mu. After being released, they will pair up on their own, and the male fish will quickly build a nest. The female fish will lay eggs in the nest, and the eggs will stick to the mesh sheets and stones. Next, they will guard the eggs. After spawning, sufficient bait must be ensured to prevent the broodstock from eating the eggs due to hunger. After all the eggs have hatched into fry, the broodstock should be removed promptly to complete reproduction.

The above is the freshwater bass breeding technique brought to you by Qinnong Web. We hope it can help you. To learn more about bass farming knowledge, please stay tuned to Qinnong Web.