Bull Minnow Aquaculture Kaylee D’Aloise

Taxonomy Scientific Name: -Fundulus grandis Common Names: -gulf Killifish -mud minnows -mudfish -bullminnow

Economic Importance Sold as live bait Mostly used to catch flounder, redfish, and speckled trout Prices are about $7-10/lb for wholesale and $12-20/lb for retail Local bait dealers mostly rely on harvest of wild stock to supply market Mostly grow experimentally still, other bait minnows are grown on much larger scales.

Life Cycle and Larval Stages Little is known about larval cycle, but salinities of 5 to 40ppt result in better larval survival than higher or lower salinities. As adults they spawn with the tidal cycles They can live up to 4 years old, however rarely do because of predation and harvest Live in shallow waters of oyster bars, salt marsh pool, bayous and tidal creeks Females usually larger than males

Reproduction in Captivity Spawn readily in captivity Stocked in a 2:1 ratio of female to male External fertilization Spawn March to October but peak in March-April Have adhesive eggs that attach to spawning mats Water must be above 68 degrees Fahrenheit

Production Methods Used Grown successfully in ponds in several southern coastal states Most information comes from experimental facilities Have been grown in RAS but good growth was hard to achieve with only artificial diets Best production method is a three-phase system Spawing pond Hatching pond Grow-out pond

Phase 1 – Spawning Pond Pond stocked at 10,000 per acre 2:1 ratio of female to male Water needs to be 68 Degrees Fahrenheit Spawning nets around edge of pond and suspended in water After one week they are moved into the phase 2 pond

Phase 2 – Hatching Pond Pond must be filtered before mats put in Treat pond for insects 1.5 million eggs can be stocked per acre, of which you can expect 1 million fry from Eggs hatch in 2-3 weeks Once fish reach 900 – 1,500 per pound they are moved to phase 3 the grow-out pond

Phase 3 – Grow-out Pond The time needed to produce a certain size fish depends on the stocking density, so depending on what the market needs depends how you stock phase 3 pond Stocking at 50,000 fish per acre produces 2.5 inch minnows in 5 weeks, while 100,000 per acre takes more than 6 weeks Stocking around 200,000 per acre gives little growth rate and can be used for holding fish over winter When they reach market size they are harvested by either seining or pond draining

Bull minnow trap for harvest

Feeds and Feeding Bull minnows are omnivores and feed on whatever is available Fry are fed finely ground minnow meal that is 28-32% crude protein at 5 pounds per acre per day Phase 3 fish are fed floating feed twice daily at 10% stocked weight per day Every week the average weigh is taken and feed adjusted, after one week it is dropped to 5% and so on

Water Chemistry and Environmental Requirements in Culture Tolerant to wide range of water qualities Minimum salinity recommended is 3-5 ppt, any lower could affect spawning and disease resistance High stocking rates might need aerators, a DO level generally above 4.0mg/L Ponds should average 3 feet deep with smooth bottoms Ponds free of aquatic vegetation

Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages Very tolerant of water qualities Low mortality rates Long-lasting on the hook Grow fast Disadvantages Need large number of spawning females since females produce low number of eggs ( per spawn and up to 1,200 per season) Very dependent on market demand and time of year Still a lot to learn in aquaculture of bull minnow

Sources Auburn University Marine Extension & Research Center ng_Bull_Minnows_in_Alabama.pdf ng_Bull_Minnows_in_Alabama.pdf Southern Regional Aquaculture Center whichfactsheet/149/ whichfactsheet/149/ Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experimental Station ish-minnow.php ish-minnow.php