Figure 1. Predicted versus actual fingerling sizes, 1997 study. Aquaculture/Fisheries Cooperative Extension Program University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Fry Stocking Rates for the Production of Channel Catfish Fingerlings Carole R. Engle Professor/Director, Aquaculture and Fisheries Center Many commercial catfish farmers produce fingerlings to stock growout ponds. Costs associated with acquiring fingerlings can represent as much as 12 to 13 percent of the total variable costs of production. However, there is little standardization of production methods because there is little research-based information on the survival, growth, yield, costs and risk associated with on-farm production of different sizes of fingerling catfish. Fry Stocking Rates to Produce Catfish Finger- lings Without Thinning Extension publications from a number of states contain tables listing recommended fry stocking rates to produce different sizes of fingerlings. These tables assume that there will be no thinning during the growing season. These tables were developed with wide ranges of recommended fry stocking rates to produce fingerlings of a given size. New research tested these fry stocking rates with contemporary aeration rates (2.5 hp/acre) and com- mercial feeds. Fingerlings stocked at the lower densities reached sizes simi- lar to those predicted by existing fry stocking rate tables. However, there were important differences in the average size of fingerlings produced at the higher densities. The old predicted tables showed that a stocking rate of 217,000 fry/acre would produce finger- lings averaging only 3 inches in length. In fact, the new research (Figure 1) shows that stocking densi- ties of about 200,000 to 500,000 fry/ acre will produce 4-inch fingerlings if fed to satiation with commercially available feeds and aerated nightly. While the previous recommendations showed that a fry stocking rate of 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 Stocking density (fry/ac) New rates Old rates Figure 1. Predicted Versus Actual Fingerling Sizes, 1997 Study University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating