CFP CFP Aquaculture & Hatchery Operations 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a fish hatchery in support of US fisheries management?
- To replace wild fish populations entirely with domesticated strains
- To supplement or restore natural fish populations for conservation and recreational fisheries (Correct answer)
- To produce fish exclusively for commercial aquaculture markets
- To conduct genetic modification of native species
Correct answer: To supplement or restore natural fish populations for conservation and recreational fisheries
Hatcheries primarily serve to bolster wild populations through supplementation stocking or to restore species that have declined below self-sustaining levels.
Question 2: Which water quality parameter is most critical to monitor continuously in a flow-through hatchery raceway?
- Turbidity
- Dissolved oxygen (DO) (Correct answer)
- Total dissolved solids
- Chlorophyll-a concentration
Correct answer: Dissolved oxygen (DO)
Dissolved oxygen must be maintained above minimum thresholds at all times in raceways because fish mortality can occur rapidly when DO drops.
Question 3: What is 'imprinting' in the context of salmonid hatchery programs?
- Tattooing batch codes on juvenile fish before release
- The process by which juvenile salmon memorize the chemical signature of their natal stream for homing (Correct answer)
- Teaching hatchery fish to feed on artificial pellets
- Conditioning fish to avoid predators before stocking
Correct answer: The process by which juvenile salmon memorize the chemical signature of their natal stream for homing
Salmonid imprinting is the memorization of natal stream odors during a critical developmental window, which guides adults back to the correct stream to spawn.
Question 4: In aquaculture, what does the feed conversion ratio (FCR) measure?
- The percentage of feed consumed versus feed offered
- The kilograms of feed required to produce one kilogram of fish weight gain (Correct answer)
- The protein content of formulated feed pellets
- The rate at which fish digest feed under different temperatures
Correct answer: The kilograms of feed required to produce one kilogram of fish weight gain
FCR expresses production efficiency as the mass of feed needed per unit of fish biomass gained; lower FCR values indicate more efficient feed use.
Question 5: Which pathogen is responsible for bacterial kidney disease (BKD) in salmonids and is a major concern in US hatcheries?
- Aeromonas salmonicida
- Renibacterium salmoninarum (Correct answer)
- Flavobacterium columnare
- Yersinia ruckeri
Correct answer: Renibacterium salmoninarum
Renibacterium salmoninarum is the causative agent of BKD, a chronic systemic disease that is difficult to eradicate in hatchery populations.
Question 6: What is the purpose of 'volitional spawning channels' in Pacific salmon hatchery programs?
- To hold broodstock at high density before egg collection
- To allow fish to spawn naturally in semi-controlled conditions that mimic stream environments (Correct answer)
- To screen juvenile fish by size before release
- To flush disease pathogens from incoming water supplies
Correct answer: To allow fish to spawn naturally in semi-controlled conditions that mimic stream environments
Volitional spawning channels let adult salmon choose mates and spawn naturally, reducing domestication selection and improving genetic fitness of offspring.
CFP CFP Aquaculture & Hatchery Operations 1
What is the primary purpose of a fish hatchery in support of US fisheries management?