Effects of supplemental feeding on growth, production, and feeding habits of striped bass in ponds

Production of fingerling striped bass (Morone saxatilis) was increased by feeding fish every hour. In a 42‐d study, survival and production averaged 52.8% and 167.9 kg/hectare (150 lb/acre) in ponds to which feed was delivered hourly and 34.9% and 110.6 kg/hectare (99 lb/acre) in ponds to which feed was delivered only twice a day. Types of food items selected by larvae and fingerlings in treatment and control groups were similar. Cladocerans, adult copepods, and chironomid larvae were the predominant food organisms eaten. Particles of supplemental prepared feed were found in 92% of the fish sampled from treatment ponds and in 89% of those from control ponds. The addition of supplemental feed appeared to enhance rather than to replace the natural diet.