TEST PROCEDURES 



Samples of channel catfish {Ictalunis punc- 

 tahis) coming- into the processing plant lo- 

 cated at Dumas, Ark., were weighed and placed 

 in wire-mesh containers located in the plant 

 holding vats. These containers were weighed 

 at approximately 24-hr intervals (Fig. 1 and 2) 

 and the weight change was determined by com- 

 paring the daily reading with that of the pre- 

 vious day. If mortality had occurred in the 

 interim, the dead fish were removed and 

 weighed, and these data were used to establish 

 the beginning weight for the following day. 



The fish used in this study came from several 

 farms. All were harvested by seining and had 

 been held in the net for periods ranging from 

 a couple of hours to 2 days. These fish were 



delivered to the plant in Dumas, Ark., in haul 

 trucks equipped with agitators and had spent 

 from 2 to 4 hr in transit. 



Three series of tests were conducted over a 

 3-month period. During this time, water tem- 

 peratures in the holding vats ranged from 

 21.0° to 22.0° C (70.0° to 72.0° F). The 

 ponds from which the test populations came 

 had water temperatures of 8.9° C (48.0° F), 

 10.0° C (50.0° F), and 13.9° C (57.0° F) for 

 Tests "A", "B", and "C". 



Test "A" consisted of measuring weight 

 changes in four pots: the first two contained 

 90.7 kg (200.0 lb.) of channel catfish each, and 

 the second two, 181.4 kg (400.0 lb.) of fish each. 

 Fish densities were 320.3 kg (20.0 lb.) and 

 640.6 kg (40.0 lb.) per cubic meter (cu ft) of 

 water. These pots were set in line near the 



Figure 1. — Weighing container of channel catfish held in pond to determine weight change. 



