time to settle the squire/snapper debate

[Zeeke]

and the throwback to making more eggs is weaker specimens because all the adults energy goes into making as many as possible.. the younger fish have stronger fry and less chance of deformities and stuff

Tim

[philip_thomson]

remember smaller fish taste better

35cm-45cm squire cooked whole.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Tony_N]

Hi Tim

That sounds interesting. Could you direct me to any research on that? I've never heard it before.

Tony

[Zeeke]

dunno if there has been any research... its just something i experienced when i used to breed fish.. .. it was common that the bigger fish. even tho they would produce more fry, they wouldnt be as strong or healthy as fry produced from a younger fish.. and there was a higher chance of deformities and sterile fish

Tim

[Tony_N]

well....if you have the experience, I'll have to defer to that because I don't have any- only a strong belief. I have seen some pretty big breeders in fish farms - you'd think they'd be the first to go for stronger fry. I'll try to find out more

Tony

[Tony_N]

Tim

Another thought occurred to me - the sex change undertaken by barra and flathead happens to quite mature fish. You'd think that in nature that would be set up to give the fish stocks an advantage. ie big mother, large number of eggs, no reduction in quality of fry. I'm still just operating on a gut feeling though.

Tony

[Leo_N.]

I worked in a snapper hatchery for a while, and can say that the lump is definately a sign of a male fish. We used that as an indication of which fish to induce to spawn (males rarely need a prompt). During spawning season (Spring), the males also have a red band around their eyes, which looks like a mask. The smaller fish are less likely to have a bump, so some fish less than about 3 kg which don't have a bump are still male.

Males seem to have a larger max size, which makes sense considdering the reproductive effort that goes into producing large numbers of eggs. Energetically males can invest more into somatic growth.

I have yet to come across any data that suggests that larger fish produce lower quality eggs. I think that if nutritional inputs were limited larger females would be more likely to be compromised, but in good environmental conditions I can't see any reason for larger specimens to have lower quality reproductive events.

[roz]

Most snapper caught in waters of souther NSW and further down don't have bumps on their heads.

So that shouldn't be counted as an option.

Cheers Roz

[mackmauler]

Its just not right that grandma and grandpa snappa are bumping uglies, I am sure there are jays in the snappa world but the exception rather than the norm.

[onerabbit]

I have read that NZ snapper never get the bump, but have no experience. Can anyone confirm it?

Muzz

[snapattack]

Looks like we will be calling them all Snapper. Majority rules. Sounds better any way.