The growth characters of silver and bighead carp in a large fish pens in the Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu
太湖梅梁湾大型生态控藻围栏内鲢鳙的生长特征

Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) were widely pen-cultured in Chinese eutrophic lakes for the control of cyanobacterial blooms. In 2004 and 2005, we studied the growth characters of pen-cultured silver and bighead carp in the large biomanipulation fish pens in the Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu. Our results showed that the growth rates of silver and bighead carp were significantly influenced by the stocking density. The average growth rates of silver and bighead carp was 6.07 g/day and 11.29 g/day in 2004 with a low stocking density, and 4.30 g/day and 5.09 g/day in 2005 with a high stocking density, respectively. The growth speed of bighead carp was higher than silver carp. Growth rate of silver carp showed a single peak in one year, which was significantly related with water temperature. However, growth rate of bighead carp showed two peaks during May to Jun and September to October. The outbreak of cyanobacterial blooms seemed to hinder the growth of bighead carp in summer. In order to reach the commercial specification in one year culture, the initial stocking density of fingerlings should less than 12 g/m3 at the beginning of the year in the Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu.