Asian Seabass Research data
Description
This dataset contains raw biological production, growth performance, feed utilization, survival, and economic data generated from a field-scale validation study on fourth-tier fattening of Asian seabass, Lates calcarifer, in open-water floating cages in Vembanad Lake, Kerala, India. The study was conducted over a 120-day culture period across three farming locations using nine HDPE–GI floating cages. The dataset includes information on stocking density, biomass production, daily weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, survival, harvest uniformity, standing biomass, and economic indicators including production cost, revenue, net profit, benefit–cost ratio, and internal rate of return. Environmental parameters including salinity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and water depth are also provided. The study evaluates the technical and economic feasibility of a fourth-tier fattening strategy using market-sized Asian seabass stocked at approximately 1 kg initial body weight and fed low-value marine trash fish under estuarine cage farming conditions. Data were collected through periodic field sampling and analysed using SPSS v26.0 with one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD test (α = 0.05). No significant inter-site differences were observed for growth or economic performance parameters. This dataset may be useful for researchers, aquaculture planners, cage farming entrepreneurs, extension agencies, and policymakers working on climate-resilient brackishwater aquaculture, seabass fattening systems, open-water cage culture, and economic evaluation of commercial aquaculture systems.
Files
Steps to reproduce
The study was conducted in open-water floating cages installed at three locations in Vembanad Lake, Kerala, India. Nine HDPE–GI cages (4 m × 4 m × 3 m) were used, with three replicate cages at each site. Market-sized Asian seabass, Lates calcarifer, with an initial average body weight of approximately 1.07 kg were procured from commercial farms, acclimated, and stocked at 300 fish per cage. Fish were cultured for 120 days and fed low-value marine trash fish at approximately 5% body weight per day in two feeding sessions. Biomass sampling was conducted fortnightly using representative subsamples of 20–30 fish per cage. Growth parameters including daily weight gain (DWG), specific growth rate (SGR), percentage weight gain (PWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), survival rate, biomass production, and harvest coefficient of variation were calculated using standard aquaculture formulae. Water quality parameters including salinity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and water depth were monitored periodically during the culture period. Economic analysis was performed using partial budgeting methods including calculation of production cost, revenue, net profit, benefit–cost ratio (BCR), internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26.0. One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD post-hoc test at α = 0.05 was used to compare site-wise differences in biological and economic performance. The dataset files contain raw and summarized observations generated during the field validation of a fourth-tier seabass fattening strategy under tropical estuarine cage farming conditions.