The endemic catfish (Ictalurus mexicanus), an alternative for aquaculture in the Sierra Gorda

Abstract

The catfish is an organism of interest for aquaculture in Mexico, where the catfish with the highest production is Ictalurus punctatus, a species that represents a risk to biodiversity due to its invasive characteristic. The risk of cultivating this catfish is accentuated in regions such as the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve where efforts are being made to start catfish aquaculture. To reduce the impact on biodiversity, the introduction of native species to the region of interest is required, and in the Reserve, the endemic catfish Ictalurus Mexicanus (Rio Verde Catfish) has been identified as a species with potential for aquaculture. In order to determine the growth capacity of the endemic catfish in an aquaculture setting, it was adapted to commercial feed and its growth performance, length-weight relationship, and condition factor were determined after its acclimation and cultivation for 8 months in an aquaculture pond. The observed survival rate was higher than 85% with an average weight of 385.7±182.4 g and a maximum weight of 764 g, reaching an average length of 27.8±4.6, superior to previous reports. The isometric growth of the species and the increase of its condition factor after culture justify the interest in continuing to study Ictalurus mexicanus as a species with high potential for aquaculture.