Aquaculture America 2024

February 18 - 21, 2024

San Antonio, Texas

PERSEVERANCE IN CAPTIVE REARING OF THE SONORA SUCKER Catostomus insignis: MANAGING FOR SURVIVAL FIRST

Taylor E. Saucier*, Scott A. Bonar , Kevin M. Fitzsimmons ,  and  Matthew Recsetar

 

 School of Natural Resources and the Environment

University of Arizona

 Tucson, AZ, 85721

tsaucier@arizona.edu



Stocking is an important tool used by fisheries biologists for conservation and management, but knowledge on how to spawn and rear the desired species is essential to a stocking operation. While many fish species have existing culture techniques, there has been little success in determining the requirements for the survival and reproduction of Sonora suckers (Catostomus insignis) in captivity. This presentation aims to share some early challenges encountered with rearing Sonora suckers. We initially collected 49 Sonora suckers from the Salt River Project canals near Mesa, AZ in January 2023 to investigate techniques for spawning and rearing. Post collection, the fish contracted a bacterial infection, Aeromonas hydrophilia. Outbreaks of this bacterial infection are often related to stress. We attempted to manage stress through the improvement of several environmental factors, including flow and filtration. Additionally, the infected fish were given Oxytetracycline, an antibiotic, through medicated baths, intramuscular injections, and medicated feed. Our presentation explores the effects of environmental changes and medical interventions on the rate of mortality in Sonora suckers.