Caspian whitefish, Rutilus frisii kutum Kamensky, 1901 a potential aquaculture candidate: study on the cumulative effects of salinity and temperature on culture performance

Abstract

In this study, growth and survival of the Caspian whitefish, Rutilus frisii kutum, (mean weight 0.59±0.06g) have been estimated at different rearing salinities (0, 5 and 10‰) and temperatures (24 and 28˚C). Maximum fish weight gain (493.65±14.07%) and specific growth rate (SGR) (2.74±0.15%), and minimum feed conversion ratio (FCR) (1.66±0.06) were obtained at salinity of 5‰ and temperature of 24˚C. There were significant differences in fish weight and length gain between the two rearing temperatures at salinity of 10‰ and between salinities of 0 and 5‰ at 24˚C (p < 0.05). However, salinity and temperature did not significantly affect fish survival. Factorial analysis of variance showed significant cumulative effects of salinity and temperature on fish weight and length gain, final weight and SGR (p < 0.05). This study confirmed that optimization of salinity and temperature is crucial in rearing a new fish species. Caspian whitefish fingerlings can be grown well at 5‰ and 24˚C although, it is recommended that the effects of a broader range of environmental variables as well as feed items must also be examined.