Breeding silver perch

Hormone treatment

In aquaculture farms, sexually mature silver perch broodstock are induced to spawn, often with a hormone injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). (Note: Many chemicals used in aquaculture, including hormones like HCG, require veterinary advice and prescriptions before use.)

Spawning and fry production

After hormone treatment, male and female pairs are placed in 2000L covered tanks with strong aeration and a temperature maintained at 25^oC. The ripe fish will then spawn and natural fertilisation will occur.

Each pair may produce up to 125,000 eggs per kilogram of female bodyweight. The eggs hatch in 36 hours at 25^oC and development continues for 5 days until the yolk sack is absorbed. The first feeding larvae are 5mm long and can then be reared in a pond environment.

In the pond, high levels of small zooplankton (rotifers and copepods) are encouraged with chemical and organic fertilisation. Survival rates of 30% or higher are possible, with larvae turning into fingerlings in 3–4 weeks (15mm long). The fry reach 30mm in 5–7 weeks. Fingerlings of 30–50mm are usually produced by a commercial fish hatchery, which in turn sells the fingerlings to growers.

Also consider...

• You will need to discuss technical and licensing aspects of any proposed aquaculture venture with staff from Fisheries Queensland and the Department of Environment and Science before proceeding with site selection, design and, where applicable, land purchase.
• Download the latest report to farmers for aquaculture industry statistics and production data.