Producing and rearing largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides (Lacеpеde, 1802)) fry in conditions of warm-water pond fish farms (a review)

Purpose. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), a fish species native to freshwaters of North America, is a promising object of aquaculture all over the world. This is evidenced by the fact that this species is currently actively cultivated in aquaculture of more than 50 countries worldwide, on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica and Australia, both for recreational fishing and as a table fish. If we consider the history of breeding and cultivation of the largemouth bass, we can note a tendency to a continuous expansion of the stages of cultivation and transition from polyculture to monoculture. For example, in the first half of the last century, fish farms in the United States raised mainly juveniles of largemouth bass for stocking to natural water bodies, but currently most farms use the full production cycle from fry to marketable fish. In addition, earlier largemouth bass was used in many countries mainly as an additional object of aquaculture (biomeliorator) to increase the production of common carp, but now, thanks to the development of recreational fishing, it is increasingly becoming the main object of aquaculture, which is facilitated by the intensification of cultivation methods. Nowadays, there are many methods of growing largemouth bass, from the simplest, extensive, when fish are raised on natural food supply, to most intensive using flow-through aquaculture systems and off-season spawning. On the territory of Ukraine, it may be effective to use pond aquaculture of largemouth bass, which begins from the production of larvae and fry at fish farms. This stage of fish farming will be discussed in this article. Findings. This article contains brief information on method of natural spawning of largemouth bass, filling ponds with water, selection of broodstock and norms for their stocking to spawning ponds, spawning behavior of fish, peculiarities of caring for larvae and fry, sorting juveniles, as well as minimizing injuries during manipulations with fish. Practical value. Information from this review can be used for development of a new method for production of largemouth bass larvae and fry at warm-water pond farms in Ukraine, taking into account climatic conditions and local specificities of aquaculture. Key words: Largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, recreation fishing, sport fishing, pond fish farm, aquaculture, biomeliorator, larvae, fry, polyculture, monoculture, intensification, perspective species.