EXPERIENCE OF GROWING MARKETABLE PADDLEFISH IN POND POLYCULTURE OF FOREST-STEPPE ZONE

Growing of marketable production of North American zooplankton-eating representative of sturgeon species ? paddlefish was conducted at polyculture with cyprinids (common carp, silver carp, bighead carp, grass carp) in ponds located in the central region of Ukraine. There was used a limited feeding of carp by artificial feeds. Stocking density of 1?3-year paddlefish with average bodyweight from 86,2 to 3345,0 g in ponds with area 72?74 ha varied within 59?85 ind./ha with total stocking density of all fishes 1568?2402 ind./ha. As a whole, environmental conditions of ponds corresponded to biological requirements of studied polyculture objects, average seasonal zooplankton biomass was within 3,9?5,8 g/m3. As a result, paddlefish production was 48,6? 224,3 kg/ha with total fish productivity in ponds from 1067,1 to 1248,8 kg/ha. Average seasonal paddlefish bodyweight gains increased with age from 1,22 до 2,47 kg at average bodyweight of age-2 fish ? 1,31?2,14 kg, age-3 fish ? 4,26 kg, age-4 fish ? 5,82 kg.