Aquaculture Practices for Freshwater Fish Species

Aquaculture of freshwater species encompasses a continuum of production systems ranging from extensive earthen ponds and cages to highly controlled recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). Central to these practices are water quality management, nutritional strategies and stocking density optimisation. In pond and cage cultivation, natural productivity is often supplemented with fertilisation and periodic water exchange to sustain oxygen levels and nutrient balance. By contrast, RAS employ mechanical and biological filtration to maintain water chemistry, enabling precise control of temperature, dissolved oxygen and waste removal. Larviculture techniques typically combine live feed (such as Artemia or rotifers) with early weaning onto formulated diets to achieve rapid growth and high survival. Stocking density and flow regime adjustments are tailored to species-specific tolerance thresholds to minimise stress and aggression. Recent advances include the use of slightly saline water to reduce larval mortality in certain neotropical species, as well as feed-training protocols that improve conversion efficiencies when transitioning juveniles to dry diets. Genetic selection and improved husbandry protocols address disease resistance and growth performance, while integrated multi-trophic systems seek to enhance sustainability by recycling nutrients across species. Collectively, these practices contribute to global food security, rural livelihoods and the reduction of pressure on wild fisheries.

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Aquaculture Practices for Freshwater Fish Species publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in aquaculture practices for freshwater fish species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Recirculating aquaculture system (RAS): A closed-loop production method using mechanical and biological filtration to maintain water quality and reduce exchange rates.

Larviculture: The rearing of fish larvae through the stages of first feeding until juvenile development, often combining live feed with formulated diets.

Feed training: A husbandry technique in which juveniles are gradually conditioned to accept processed diets, often by combining them with preferred live feeds or flavour enhancers.

Stocking density: The number of individuals per unit volume of water, optimised to balance growth performance and welfare.

Formulated diet: A manufactured feed composed of proteins, lipids and additives designed to meet the nutritional requirements of specific life stages.

References

1. Histological and molecular characterization of the digestive system of early weaned juveniles of Arapaima sp. reared in a recirculating aquaculture system. PLOS ONE (2025).
2. Slightly saline water increases the larviculture efficiency of freshwater neotropical fish. Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira (2013).
3. Effect of water flow rate and feed training on "pacamã" (Siluriforme: Pseudopimelodidae) juvenile production. Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (2011).