Answer:
B) Selective breeding can produce catfish that reproduce more.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Thad Cochran National. Warm water Aquaculture Center. (NWAC). The NWAC Research is being conducted on catfish nutrition, Research to Improve Cat fish Spawning Success. Jeffery Silver stein reproductive traits through selective breeding, and to determine the biological reasons.
Spawning success of channel catfish in brood fish ponds varies widely from year to year and even pond to pond within years.
However, it is generally believed that spawning rates in brood fish ponds average 30 to 50%. This requires fingerling producers to carry a large surplus of brood fish to obtain a sufficient number of spawns.
The reasons for the relatively low spawning rates in brood fish ponds are not well known, though age/size of the brood fish, water quality, water temperatures, weather, and even the kind of spawning container can all influence spawning rates. One of the research goals of the Catfish Genetics Research Unit is to improve the spawning success of brood fish. We are working to improve reproductive traits through selective breeding, and to determine the biological reasons that reproduction in ponds is poor.
There are two time periods for sexual development that need to be investigated at the outset. The first is early sexual development of the fish. brood fish have not undergone any early sexual development and produced eggs, we would need to focus on the period during the winter and spring before spawning. If early sexual development and egg development are adequate then the problem may be with final maturation, just prior to spawning.
During final maturation, eggs that were produced and developed over the preceding months are brought to ripeness and spawning occurs.
Finally, behavioral factors and the appropriate male/female interactions must also take place.