Aquaculture America 2026

February 16 - 19, 2026

Las Vegas, Nevada

Add To Calendar 17/02/2026 14:30:0017/02/2026 14:50:00America/Los_AngelesAquaculture America 2026POND CHARACTERISTICS AND GROWTH DYNAMICS INFLUENCING OVERSIZED HYBRID CATFISH (Ictalurus punctatus ? × I. furcatus ?) RETENTION IN COMMERCIAL AQUACULTURE SYSTEMSConcorde BThe World Aquaculture Societyjohnc@was.orgfalseDD/MM/YYYYanrl65yqlzh3g1q0dme13067

POND CHARACTERISTICS AND GROWTH DYNAMICS INFLUENCING OVERSIZED HYBRID CATFISH (Ictalurus punctatus ? × I. furcatus ?) RETENTION IN COMMERCIAL AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS

Jesse P. B. James*, Julia Palmer, Anita Kelly, Benjamin Beck, Luke Roy


Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama 36849
jbj0023@auburn.edu

 



Hybrid catfish (Ictalurus punctatus × I. furcatus ) make up a significant portion of U.S. catfish production due to their aggressive feeding nature and rapid growth rate. One of the challenges Alabama producers have faced in recent years is the overabundance of large, unmarketable fish at harvest. Oversized fish (>1.81 kg) present costly challenges by consuming feed and returning reduced processor value. To evaluate oversized fish abundance, 12 commercial ponds in west Alabama were sampled by electrofishing in the period between final harvest and restocking. The fish collected were processed for length, weight, and otolith-based age. Additionally, pond variables such as pond type, average depth, shoreline development index (SLD), depth range, and seine frequency were recorded. Beta regression modeling identified SLD as the strongest predictor of oversized fish, explaining ~73% of the variance (pseudo-R² = 0.73) with significantly higher oversized proportions in ponds with irregular shorelines (p < 0.001). Growth analysis using a von Bertalanffy Growth Function estimated that fish surpassed the oversized threshold by 2.64 years of age, meaning carryover fish quickly advance beyond market size if not fully removed. These findings highlight the importance of pond perimeter design and harvest efficiency in limiting oversized fish prevalence.