What are the prospects and benefits of turbot farming?
Turbot is native to the Atlantic waters of Europe and is recognized worldwide as one of the high-quality flatfish. When farmed artificially, its growth period is noticeably shortened; under suitable conditions, it can reach about 500-600 grams in the same year. It has advantages such as adapting to low water temperatures, fast growth, good meat quality, and great farming and market potential. Now let us take a look at the farming prospects and farming benefits of turbot.
The farming prospects of turbot
Turbot was introduced to China in 1992 and has now become an important farmed species along the northern coast of China. It grows rapidly, and from egg laying and hatching to being raised into commercial fish for sale (0.8-1 jin) takes only 10-12 months. Investment in the same year brings profits and benefits in the same year. It also has high economic value, a high feed conversion rate, strong disease resistance, low oxygen consumption, and is suitable for high-density farming. It is an excellent farmed species with great development prospects.
Female turbot grow faster than males, and the body length of females is noticeably greater than that of males. When sexual maturity is reached at 2 years of age, males can reach 20-25.5 cm in length, while females can reach 30-35.6 cm.
The farming conditions of turbot
Turbot belongs to the cold-water fish species of Northern Europe, and this fish has strict requirements for temperature and other seawater indicators. The highest lethal temperature for turbot is 28-30°C, the lowest lethal temperature is 1-2°C, the highest growth temperature is 21-27°C, the lowest growth temperature is 7-8°C, and the optimum growth temperature is 14-17°C. Its temperature tolerance is at most 40‰ and at least 12‰.
In natural sea areas, turbot has the ability to ambush and prey. Larvae mainly feed on crustaceans, and as the fish continue to grow, they gradually feed on various fish. Common prey includes spotted mullet, striped mullet, white mullet, and grass shrimp. Under artificial farming conditions, after domestication, they are mainly fed high-energy pelleted compound feed.
The farming benefits of turbot
1. Pond farming: 500-800 fish can be stocked per mu, with a survival rate of 80%. After 6-12 months of farming, they reach an average of 0.5-0.8 kg per fish, and each mu can generate an income of 60,000-100,000 yuan.
2. Pond cage farming: each 3 m × 3 m × 1.5 m cage is stocked with 100-200 fish, with a survival rate of 80%. After 6-12 months of farming, they reach an average of 0.5-0.7 kg per fish, with an income of 8,000-20,000 yuan.
3. Sea area cage farming: each 3 m × 3 m × 3.5 m cage is stocked with 300-400 fish, with a survival rate of 80%. After 6-12 months of farming, they reach an average of 0.5-0.7 kg per fish, with an income of 20,000-40,000 yuan.
4. Industrial greenhouse farming: 20 fish are stocked per sq m, with a survival rate of 80%. After 6-12 months of farming, they reach 0.5-0.8 kg per fish, with an income of 1,600-2,500 yuan per sq m.