Biological characteristics of the fish Chupapiedras (Awaous banana) in an aquaculture culture

Abstract

The stone-sucking fish or river goby is endemic to the Mesoamerican zone with reports of distribution in Brazil. It inhabits shallow waters, it is amphi- chrome, with greater distribution in fresh waters. The behavior in natural environments in juvenile phase are gregarious sharing rocky systems, in young or reproductive organisms are isolated and territorial. It is an omnivorous species with preference over insects, crustaceans and molluscs present in sediments. At the community level, A. banana is a nutritionally prized species, some aphrodisiac properties are attributed. The investigation evaluated the integration of A. banana in self-management or backyard production systems, under monoculture and polyculture conditions associated with species of O. niloticus (Tilapia) and Agonostomus monticola, (tepemechín), alternative foods, vermicompost, pellets with fish and avocado silage
base (typical of the area). A better behavior of A banana, A.montícola and O. niloticus was observed in polyculture systems, the sizes varied according to food sources, with fresh avocado being the food that sustained the highest growths in A banana (108.62 g / fish and 18.45 cm / LT fish). The high adaptation capacity of A. banana to aquaculture farming systems was evidenced, enhancing the species for self-management systems or backyard production, as well as promoting the use of avocado as the only source of food in this type of production systems.