Density-Dependent Impacts on Growth and Body Condition of Red Drum in Stock Enhancement Rearing Ponds

The quality of individuals released from fish culture facilities for stock enhancement can affect success in achieving management goals. However, the quality of released individuals is not always known, and neither are the various aspects of aquaculture that influence fish quality. Quality or body condition at multiple life stages may be influenced by density-dependent impacts on growth. Here, the influence of stocking density (number of larvae per cubic meter) at the beginning of pond culture and harvest density at the end of pond culture were assessed in relation to growth and body condition using data from 121 stock enhancement culture ponds for Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus . While stocking density did not influence Red Drum growth rate, harvest density was a reliable predictor of growth; high density at harvest resulted in slow growth in weight (r ² = 0.33, P < 0.001) and length (r ² = 0.26, P < 0.001). No negative impacts on pond yield were observed in ponds stocked over the targeted stocking rate (988,000 larvae/ha), and mean body condition was consistent with what would be expected for individuals in wild populations. These findings suggest no observable negative biological effects of density dependence during the duration of pond culture on the quality of released Red Drum. Received January 5, 2015; accepted June 15, 2015