Review of Aquaculture Research and Development of the Australian Freshwater Fish Silver Perch, Bidyanus bidyanus
Authors: Rowland Stuart J. 
Published: June 2009

Silver perch, Bidyanus bidyanus (Mitchell), is a freshwater fish that is endemic to the Murray‐Darling River System, Australia. Over recent decades, its distribution and abundance in the wild have declined, and it is now a threatened species with the conservation status of “vulnerable.” Silver perch is a schooling, omnivorous fish, with white flesh, few bones, and high levels of omega fatty acids, and its aquaculture potential has long been recognized. Hatchery techniques, based on hormone‐induced spawning of captive broodfish in tanks and rearing of larvae in fertilized earthen ponds, were developed in the early 1980s. Fingerlings are currently used for stock enhancement and conservation or sold for commercial grow‐out or stocking farm dams. Research into the grow‐out of silver perch commenced in 1990 and demonstrated that it is an excellent fish for culture in static aerated earthen ponds with high survival rates (>90%), fast growth rates (2–5 g/fish/d) at high stocking densities (20,000/ha) leading to high production rates (10 tonnes/ha/yr). Since 1996, there has been research into nutrition, diet development, feeding strategies, broodfish domestication and management, culture in tanks and tank‐based recirculating aquaculture systems, diseases, health management, genetic improvement, and cage culture. Silver perch is a hardy species that performs well under different culture conditions and on diets with no or low levels of fish meal. Technology has been transferred to industry through major conferences in 1994 and 2003 as well as workshops, field days, extension, seminars, and numerous scientific and technical publications. The high quality of silver perch and its excellent culture attributes suggest that the species has the potential to form a large industry based on high‐volume, low‐cost production. However, despite these features and a strong technical base provided by research and development, industry growth has been limited and a relatively small industry currently produces only around 500 tonnes annually. Development has been restricted by a number of factors: poor site selection and design of some farms; use of inappropriate husbandry and/or production strategies; difficulties with pond production, including significant losses to bird predation and diseases; high costs of feeds; limited marketing and promotion; no processing component; no large‐scale investment; and the failure of many farms that were too small to be economically viable. Recent research has found that silver perch performs well in cages (high survival [>90%], good growth [1.7–3.5 g/fish/d], and high production rates [50–90 kg/m3]), and cage culture has advantages such as ease of management and prevention of bird predation that may help overcome some of the problems associated with pond production. Improved health management, new production strategies, cage culture, use of interstrain hybrids and other genetically improved fish, and integration with cotton and other irrigation industries offer opportunities for increased production and efficiencies, and further development of the silver perch industry. The potential of silver perch for commercial aquaculture remains very high.