Performance comparison of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) under the specific environmental condition in the Highland of Northern Thailand

A comprehensive performance comparison (e.g. 8 000 fish) of different rainbow trout populations was conducted at Doi lnthanon Fisheries Research Unit over two experimental series in order to identify populations which are suitable to establish rainbow trout farming under the specific production conditions of Northern Thailand. This population comparison included survival, growth and reproductive performance. Eyed eggs of seven populations were transferred from the Experimental Trout Station Relliehausen, University of Goettingen, to Doi [nthanon Fisheries Research Unit. Here a special system for population testing in trout was developed. This consisted of separate hatching and rearing of populations till the end of the first feeding stage under two water temperature regimes (11oc, 14°C), further separate rearing of each population up to markable size under ambient water temperatures and common fattening up to pan-size weight.