162
C. F. HICKLING
fry are thus available twice a year. But in both the Philippines and
Taiwan, Chanos are available only once a year but over an extended
period of time; that is, in Taiwan from April to September (Lin, 1968)
and in the Philippines from March to September, with the peak season
in May to June.
In Taiwan, Chanos fry caught late in this long season cannot be
grown to marketable size before the winter slows down growth and may
even endanger the fish. Only in the south of the island can Chanos be
overwintered in special wintering ponds. These are long and narrow,
and always orientated in an east-west direction so as not to be raked
by the cold north winds. They are commonly 5 m wide and 100-200 m
long, and 1.5-2 m deep. They are connected with the nursery pond by
a narrow entrance. Unlike the similar ponds of Italy, trees do not seem
to grow on the salty soil, so great wind breaks of bamboo are set up
on which straw can be spread (Fig. 16). I n these wintering ponds
the fish, which would not be normally very active, can be densely
stocked during the 4 or 5 winter months, from November to March.
The average temperature of the water must be kept above lS"C, and
not be mixed with the outside water, which may fall to l2"C, a temperature fatal t o Chanos. Management of these wintering fish is tricky,
because too long a period without water-renewal could lead to loss of fish
through asphyxiation, especially since they may have to be fed occasionally to keep them in condition without serious loss of weight. Lin
suggests that these overwintered fingerlings are valuable enough to
justify the installation of air and water pumps to help maintain the
stock, since these, when grown in the spring, are the first fish to be
marketed and fetch a premium price. The food given is peanut cake.
On warm days the fingerlings can emerge from a narrow entrance and
browse in the adjacent nursery pond.
2. Grey mullet and eels
I n contrast to Chanos, grey mullet fry receive little care. This is
strange, because the grown fish are as valuable as Chanos, even in Java
(Schuster, 1952) and form an important part of the catch of miscellaneous fish from the fishponds. Usually, grey mullet fry are stocked
directly into the growing ponds, as in Hong Kong and Taiwan. But
grey mullet fry are in short supply in the Italian valli and more have
to be brought from the west coast. They are valuable as well as delicate,
and so are placed in special, well sheltered ponds, which are a series
of parallel trenches called "seragio" arranged so that the cold winds
of spring will not rake them, and which are supplied with fresh or
C. F. HICKLING
fry are thus available twice a year. But in both the Philippines and
Taiwan, Chanos are available only once a year but over an extended
period of time; that is, in Taiwan from April to September (Lin, 1968)
and in the Philippines from March to September, with the peak season
in May to June.
In Taiwan, Chanos fry caught late in this long season cannot be
grown to marketable size before the winter slows down growth and may
even endanger the fish. Only in the south of the island can Chanos be
overwintered in special wintering ponds. These are long and narrow,
and always orientated in an east-west direction so as not to be raked
by the cold north winds. They are commonly 5 m wide and 100-200 m
long, and 1.5-2 m deep. They are connected with the nursery pond by
a narrow entrance. Unlike the similar ponds of Italy, trees do not seem
to grow on the salty soil, so great wind breaks of bamboo are set up
on which straw can be spread (Fig. 16). I n these wintering ponds
the fish, which would not be normally very active, can be densely
stocked during the 4 or 5 winter months, from November to March.
The average temperature of the water must be kept above lS"C, and
not be mixed with the outside water, which may fall to l2"C, a temperature fatal t o Chanos. Management of these wintering fish is tricky,
because too long a period without water-renewal could lead to loss of fish
through asphyxiation, especially since they may have to be fed occasionally to keep them in condition without serious loss of weight. Lin
suggests that these overwintered fingerlings are valuable enough to
justify the installation of air and water pumps to help maintain the
stock, since these, when grown in the spring, are the first fish to be
marketed and fetch a premium price. The food given is peanut cake.
On warm days the fingerlings can emerge from a narrow entrance and
browse in the adjacent nursery pond.
2. Grey mullet and eels
I n contrast to Chanos, grey mullet fry receive little care. This is
strange, because the grown fish are as valuable as Chanos, even in Java
(Schuster, 1952) and form an important part of the catch of miscellaneous fish from the fishponds. Usually, grey mullet fry are stocked
directly into the growing ponds, as in Hong Kong and Taiwan. But
grey mullet fry are in short supply in the Italian valli and more have
to be brought from the west coast. They are valuable as well as delicate,
and so are placed in special, well sheltered ponds, which are a series
of parallel trenches called "seragio" arranged so that the cold winds
of spring will not rake them, and which are supplied with fresh or