Aquaculture Solutions of East Mississippi
A ramshorn will normally start reproducing within 4 weeks of being born if well fed. It lays a small gelatin like patch of eggs on any surface. After 10-20 days (depending on temperature) these will hatch. The babies of red ramshorn are very tiny but identical to their parents.
Shellcrackers are freshwater fish that are often found near the bottom of warm water with little current and lots of aquatic vegetation. They are known as shellcrackers because they eat small mussels and snails on the bottom, and have teeth in their throats that can crush shells. They may also eat insect larvae and cladocerans. They very rarely eat commercial floating feed.
Bolbophorus infections are a relatively new problem for the catfish industry, as demonstrated by producers' relative lack of familiarity with the disease. This lack of familiarity may result in producers underestimating their trematode problems, since they may not recognize the disease or may not be monitoring their fish for it. Additionally, recent research indicates that Bolbophorus infections may increase fish susceptibility to other diseases, further adding to trematodes' impact on the catfish industry. More research is needed to describe the distribution of trematodes and their impact on catfish production in the United States.
Some digenetic trematodes may have several different final and intermediate hosts. Studies to date, however, indicate that the only final and intermediate host for Bolbophorus are the pelican and the ram’s horn snail, respectively. Without these hosts the life cycle of the trematode cannot be completed.
The easiest way to prevent trematode infestation is to reduce snail populations within ponds and attempt to keep pelicans from establishing feeding/resting patterns on production ponds.
Suggested Stocking Rate
100 - 200 fish per acre
Numerous rates are suggested by different entities. All of these rates are used in game fish lakes to control for aquatic snails. Hopefully, we can get more data for use in catfish ponds. This has not been proven to work yet. However, in the game fish lakes there has been considerable success in controlling snails and other aquatic pests such as leeches and worms on the pond bottom. We are very excited to offer Shellcrackers as a possible solution to this very devastating problem in our industry. You can become an industry leader!!