Evaluation of pondside tank rearing systems for juvenile striped bass production

Larval rearing is one of the main bottlenecks that limits large-scale Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) production in aquaculture. We evaluated a pondside tank approach that combined earthen pond productivity with tank culture to improve early larval survival and water-use efficiency. A pondside tank system consisting of six 414 L tanks received inflow of zooplankton-rich pond water in a series of four trials that assessed: 1) stocking density (12 fry/L, 36 fry/L, 60 fry/L); 2) light trap versus no light trap at pump intakes; 3) partial shading versus no shading; and 4) a reduced density and light trap production trial (8,000 times more water efficient based on fish produced per liter of water used, and annual energy costs per tank system were