Study on the behavior of F2 Mekong giant catfish using ultrasonic telemetry

Abstract

The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperatives of the Thai government first succeeded in producing a second generation (F2) of Mekong giant catfish Pangasianodon gigas through artificial insemination in 2001. In order to compare the behavior of F2 catfish with those of the first generation (F1), we monitored ten F2 catfish for 18 days using ultrasonic telemetry in an artificial reservoir (Mae Peum reservoir, Phayao province, Thailand). The F2 catfish stayed shallower at night and deeper during the day, and avoided hypoxia areas of the reservoir. Since this diel vertical movement was observed in the previous study on F1 catfish, F2 catfish should be as behaviorally healthy as F1 catfish.