Variability in the growth, feeding and condition of barramundi (Lates calcarifer Bloch) in a northern Australian coastal river and impoundment
D. J. Russell A C , F. E. Thomson A , P. A. Thuesen A , T. N. Power A and R. J. Mayer B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Northern Fisheries Centre, Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, PO Box 5396, Cairns, Qld 4870 Australia.
B Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, PO Box 1085, Oonoonba, Qld 4801, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: johnru2001@hotmail.com
Marine and Freshwater Research 66(10) 928-941 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF13269
Submitted: 11 October 2013 Accepted: 23 June 2014 Published: 1 April 2015
Abstract
Lates calcarifer supports important fisheries throughout tropical Australia. Community-driven fish stocking has resulted in the creation of impoundment fisheries and supplemental stocking of selected wild riverine populations. Using predominantly tag–recapture methods, condition assessment and stomach flushing techniques, this study compared the growth of stocked and wild L. calcarifer in a tropical Australian river (Johnstone River) and stocked fish in a nearby impoundment (Lake Tinaroo). Growth of L. calcarifer in the Johnstone River appeared resource-limited, with juvenile fish in its lower freshwater reaches feeding mainly on small aytid shrimp and limited quantities of fish. Growth was probably greatest in estuarine and coastal areas than in the lower freshwater river. Fish in Lake Tinaroo, where prey availability was greater, grew faster than either wild or stocked fish in the lower freshwater areas of the Johnstone River. Growth of L. calcarifer was highly seasonal with marked declines in the cooler months. This was reflected in both stomach fullness and the percentage of fish with empty stomachs but the condition of L. calcarifer was similar across most sites. In areas where food resources appear stretched, adverse effects on resident L. calcarifer populations and their attendant prey species should be minimised through cessation of, or more conservative, stocking practices.
Additional keywords: condition factor, feeding intensity, habitat fidelity, movement, von Bertalanffy.
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