Lisa Christenwn 



Harry Daniels examines baby flounder. 



the researchers can identify optimum culture 

 conditions before passing the information to 

 prospective flounder farmers. 



Currently, the researchers are raising the 

 fingerlings in tanks, but Hodson is anxious to 

 test their growth in ponds such as those used for 

 hybrid bass and catfish. Pond culture is usually 

 less intensive and less expensive than tank 

 culture. But he must answer questions about 

 how the soils used to build the ponds and the 

 waters pumped to fill them will affect flounder 

 growth. 



Interestingly, Daniels has learned that once 

 the southern flounder metamorphose from 

 larvae to fingerlings, they can live and grow in 

 fresh water. 



"In growth trials, we can't tell the differ- 

 ence in the growth rates of fingerlings grown in 



low-salinity water and no 

 salinity," he says. 



If flounder culture 

 isn't tied to the availability 

 of brackish water, then 

 flounder farms may be 

 established miles from the 

 coast on less expensive 

 land without a waterfront. 



But for now the 

 verdict is still out on 

 salinity. Daniels and 

 Hodson will continue to 

 compare growth rates as 

 the fish mature to a market 

 size of 1 1/2 to 2 pounds 

 during the next two years. 



Daniels estimates that 

 the scientists are at least 

 five years from having 

 southern flounder ready 

 for debut into commercial 

 production. 



The scientists are 

 optimistic, however, 

 because of their hatchery 

 successes. 



"Flounder farming 

 looks doable on a large 

 scale with a modest 

 amount of effort," Hodson 

 says. "And I know some 

 fish farmers who are 

 anxious for us to work out the science." 



Lee Brothers is one of them. Brothers, a 

 man whose future once seemed dependent on 

 agriculture, has now traded the plow for the 

 pond, managing 150 acres of hybrid striped 

 bass ponds and shipping his high-value pond- 

 catch to fish markets in the United States, 

 Canada and Japan. 



"There's a really good market for floun- 

 der, but there are a lot of unanswered questions 

 still," he says. "Research is helpful to potential 

 farms, and I'm interested in raising flounder 

 when we have the questions answered." 



Consumers are ready for flounder 

 farming too. They would like to see supplies 

 of this favored flatfish increase, prices lower 

 and a nice-sized flounder fillet sizzling in the 

 frying pan. □ 



