Green Catfish (Hemibagrus nemurus) Seeds Cannibali at Different Stocking Densities

Abstract

Green catfish is a high economic value commodity in Riau. However, cannibalism in green catfish seeds is still an obstacle in its hatchery, and so far there has been no specific study of cannibalism in green catfish. The purpose of this research was to study the cannibalism of the green catfish seeds at different stocking densities. The research used a completely randomized design with four treatments, namely stocking density 1 (A), 2 (B), 3 (C) and 4 (D) indvidual/liter with five replications. A feed with 40% protein was given four times a day at satiation. The results indicated that the cannibalism index increased with the increase in stocking density, namely 32, 34.5, 53.33 and 51.50%, respectively. The highest incidence of cannibalism was at stocking density of 3 individuals/l, but it was not different from that of 4 individuals/l. The dominant cannibalisms are type 1 cannibalism, namely 26, 27.5, 50.67 and 43.75% respectively; however, type 2 cannibalism did not differ among treatments. There was no difference in growth performance among treatments. It could be concluded that there is a link between cannibalism and an increase in stocking density in the green catfish seeds.