Culture of fish food organisms

Unit 9 - Bait fish

9.1.Bait fish and forage fish
Importance of bait fish and forage fish in aquaculture
Bait fish are small fishes caught for use as bait to attract large predatory fish, particularly game fishes. Small fish produced specifically for anglers to attract desirable food or game fishes are referred to as baitfish. Baitfish is the common term given to a multitude of small, schooling fish as they are an important food source for other fish. Species used are typically those that are common and breed rapidly, making them easy to catch and in regular supply. This large and diverse group of fishes is an integral part of the complex, interconnected marine food web. Live bait fishes are used for chumming and attracting the tuna shoals. Live baits are essential for operation of the pole and line fishery. These fishes caught from the reefs and lagoons and kept in live condition in special region of the boats for use at the time of capture. Bait fish, by contrast to forage fishes are fishes that are caught by humans to use as bait for other fish. The terms also overlap in the sense that most bait fish are also forage fish, and most forage fish can also be used as bait fish. Forage fishes are small fishes that are preyed upon in the wild by larger predators for food. The predators can be other larger fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Typical ocean forage fish feed near the base of the food chain on plankton, often by filter feeding. Forage fish compensate for their small size by forming schools. Some swim in synchronised grids with their mouths open so they can efficiently filter plankton. These schools can become immense shoals which move along coastlines and migrate across open oceans.