A Comparison of the Performance of American Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis Mitchell) and Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri Richardson) Reared in Fish Farm Ponds and Freshwater Floating Net Cages

Following an upsurge in the interest to anglers of American brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) an investigation was carried out in 1978 and 1979 into their growth and survival when reared in fish farm earth ponds and freshwater floating cages. Their performance was compared with similarly reared batches of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). This work shows that American brook trout require more care and attention than rainbow trout when reared artificially and that their survival to 1 year old is lower, although growth rate in the first year compares favourably.