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Abstract
Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa Bloch & Schneider, 1801) meat is highly quality, favourable to the consumers. This is the first report on trial culture of stonefish in cement tanks and earthern pond. Results showed that, after 4 months culture in cement tanks with the densities of 10, 15 and 20 specimens/m², the fish reached average length of 61.1 ± 6.1, 57.4 ± 6.2 and 53.6 ± 5.4 mm, respectively; and average weight of 8.9 ± 1.6, 7.7 ± 1.5 and 6.4 ± 1.3 g, respectively, with survival rates of 85.0, 82.7 and 81.5%, respectively. Restocked these fish into earthern pond, and cultured them from December-2015 to May-2017, with density of 1 specimen/m², the fish reached average length of 252.6 ± 24.3 mm and average weight of 678.2 ± 153.5 g, survival rate was 31.2%. Stocked the fingerling fish with average length of 29.8 ± 4.3 mm and average weight of 2.5 ± 0.4 g into the earthern ponds and cultured at the densities of 3 and 6 specimens/m², after 6 months, the fish reached the average length of 98.8 ± 8.9 and 89.5 ± 8.1 mm, respectively and the average weight of 59.7 ± 17.8 and 40.1 ± 14.5 g, respectively, with the survival rates of 9.0 and 4.7%, respectively.
Keywords: Cultured environment, effects of cultured density, growth-out, growth rate, stonefish, survival rate.