Growth of pejerrey, Odontesthes bonariensis (Valenciennes, 1835), in culture and in wild populations: A meta-analysis

Abstract

The culture of pejerrey, Odontesthes bonariensis (Valenciennes, 1835), developed in Argentina, allows the obtaining of eggs and larvae from adults reared in tanks. However, its massive aquaculture is still delayed, among other things, by the species slow growth. The aim of this study is to compare, through meta-analysis, the growth of O. bonariensis in intensive aquaculture with that of wild populations to determine the extent this species expresses its potential growth in captivity. Standard length data at age, compilated from publications of in culture and in natural environments, were fitted to the von Bertalanffy growth model and converted to average weight in grams (W) using the standard silverside weight equation. Annual increases in W (IW) and annual weight gain (SAIW) were calculated as the difference between successive IW years. In culture, growth in size and weight per age were above the average recorded among natural environments. Both in cultivation and in natural environments, the SAIW began to present negative values from the third year and the maximum gain was obtained between the first and second year. Although growth in captivity was higher to that in most of the environments considered, the existence of higher size values per age in some wild populations suggest that improvements in growth in culture could potentially be achieved.