DEVELOPMENT OF INTENSIVE INDOOR REARING STRATEGIES FOR LARGEMOUTH BASS DURING CRITICAL EARLY LIFE HISTORY STAGES

Our long-term goal is to develop intensive indoor rearing strategies for a commercially importantfood fish (largemouth bass) during the critical early life stages.To accomplish this goal, we will employ an integrative morphological, physiological, and molecular approach, where specific objectives are to:oIdentifyyolk-sac fry stocking density, prey density, or stocking density × prey density interaction that increases productionefficiency.oDetermine the influence of photoperiod, light intensity, and tank color on growth and development.oElucidate the ontogenetic development of digestive system morphology and function.oOptimize first-feeding to fingerling dietary regimens using live feed and artificial diets.Adopting these integrated techniques will constitute new avenues of aquatic research. These novel approaches will advance hatchery conditions to improveaquaculture production and genetic enhancement programs.