BROODSTOCK, SPAWNING, AND EGG HANDLING 143 



this grass provides spawning sites. Aquatic plants are also utilized as 

 spawning sites. If natural vegetation is absent or scarce, hay, straw, or mats 

 of Spanish moss may be anchored in shallow areas for spawning purposes. 



If the eggs are allowed to hatch in the ponds where they are laid, the 

 adults will stop spawning when the pond becomes crowded with young 

 fish. If the eggs are removed and transferred to clean ponds to hatch, the 

 uncrowded adults will continue to spawn all summer. In general, ponds 

 containing both young and adults should produce up to 100,000 fingerlings 

 per acre. In intensive situations, where a heavily stocked brood pond pro- 

 vides fry for eight or ten rearing ponds, production will reach 200,000 to 

 300,000 goldfish per acre. 



GOLDEN SHINER 



Golden shiners are widely distributed from eastern Canada to Florida, and 

 westward to the Dakotas and Texas. They prefer lakes and slack-water 

 areas of rivers. Young golden shiners eat algae and cladocerans. Adults will 

 consume a variety of organisms, from algae and zooplankton to mollusks 

 and small fish. Eggs are adhesive and are scattered over filamentous algae 

 and rooted aquatic plants. 



Golden shiner breeders should be at least 1 year old, and 3-8 inches 

 long. About 50% of the broodstock should be shorter than 5 inches in 

 length; otherwise the stock might be predominantly females, as the males 

 are consistently smaller than females. The stocking rate in large ponds, 

 where the fry will remain with the adults, should range from 2,000 to 3,000 

 fish per acre. In ponds where egg or fry removal is planned, the stocking 

 rate should be 4,000-8,000 adults per acre. 



Golden shiners start spawning activity when the water temperature rises 

 above 65°F, but if the temperature exceeds 80°F, spawning ceases. During 

 this period, at least four or five distinct spawning cycles occur, separated 

 by periods of about 4 or 5 days. Spawning usually starts early in the morn- 

 ing and terminates before noon. The females deposit their eggs on any type 

 of submerged plants or debris. At temperatures of 75-80°F, fertilized eggs 

 hatch within four days. 



Shortly thereafter, fry congregate in schools near the surface along the 

 shoreline, where they can be collected with a fine- mesh net and transferred 

 to growing ponds. Because adults often cannibalize the young if the two 

 age groups are left together, the fry should be transferred to other ponds at 

 the rate of 200,000-300,000 fry per acre. Successful production will yield 

 75,000-150,000 2-3- inch fish per acre. In ponds where the fry remain with 

 the adults, 60,000 shiners per acre is considered good production. 



Golden shiners, like most other forage species, can be fed a supplemental 

 formulated diet to increase growth rate. 



