Figure 1: Flow chart showing production phases for the pond culture of silver perch (Source: Rowland, in The New Rural Industries - A Handbook for Farmers and Investors, RIRDC 1998). | | The growing of silver perch to market size involves three distinct phases (Rowland, 1995b): - Hatchery Phase : Most growers will not be involved with this phase. It lasts roughly eight weeks, involves collection and spawning of brood fish, incubation of eggs, and rearing of larvae through to fry (30 mm total length or 0.5 g).
- Fingerling Phase : Fry are grown in farmers' ponds until they are about 15 to 20 g (three to four months at summer temperatures), when they should be harvested and graded. Grading is particularly important, as research has shown that fingerling size is hugely variable from 2 to 50 grams total length after just three to four months.
- Growout Phase : Graded fingerlings are stocked in ponds for growout to market size (10 to 15 months).
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