CFP Aquaculture & Hatchery Operations Flashcards

What is the function of a raceway in a typical flow-through hatchery design?

Answer: An elongated tank with flowing water used to rear fish at controlled densities

Raceways are rectangular flow-through channels that provide a continuous supply of fresh water to maintain water quality as fish are reared at production densities.

Which US federal agency operates the largest network of fish hatcheries for Pacific salmon restoration?

Answer: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries oversees federal hatcheries involved in Pacific salmon and steelhead recovery programs under the Endangered Species Act.

What is the primary genetic risk associated with large-scale hatchery supplementation of wild fish populations?

Answer: Genetic homogenization and reduced fitness of wild fish through interbreeding with domesticated strains

Hatchery fish selected for domesticated traits can hybridize with wild fish and reduce the fitness and adaptive potential of wild populations over time.

In recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), what is the primary role of a biofilter?

Answer: Convert toxic ammonia to less harmful nitrate through nitrification by bacteria

Biofilters in RAS house nitrifying bacteria that oxidize ammonia (NH₃) through nitrite (NO₂⁻) to nitrate (NO₃⁻), protecting fish from ammonia toxicity.

What does the term 'smoltification' refer to in Pacific and Atlantic salmon hatchery management?

Answer: The physiological transformation of juvenile salmon from freshwater- to saltwater-adapted physiology

Smoltification (parr-smolt transformation) prepares juvenile salmon for ocean entry by changing their osmoregulation, behavior, and morphology.

Which chemical is most commonly used to anesthetize fish during hatchery handling procedures in the US?

Answer: Tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222)

MS-222 (tricaine) is the most widely used fish anesthetic approved by the FDA for use in US hatcheries and research settings.