Originally posted by Edward P. Eitel:
WOW!
For the life of me I can't understand how a fish that lives maybe 5,6 or 7 years can get that big. Even as a triploid and living maybe 10 years..........thats 4.36 lbs. of weight gain average per year!
Cecil, what is average lifespan of triploid rainbow?
Ed,
I replied to this but for some reason it disappeared!
Anyway, here's my take on this. For one thing fish are like people. We have an average life expectancy but there are some of us that don't make it that long and there are others that far exceed that. But one difference with fish and us as you probably know is fish don't stop growing completely (at least most of their life span) Growth will usually slow down but the fish still keeps growing if it remains healthy.
I understand some rainbows live up to 11 years especially in hard water. But it may not necessarily be that old. Our state record largemouth bass of about 14 lbs. + was no older than a typical 6 or 7 pounder. Sometimes individual fish just grow really fast. They are freaks or anomolies. Add to that this fish obviously had a very good forage base as is evidenced by it's robust body shape. In fact, it's a fast growing fish as is evidenced by its large body for the size of the head, and most of it's weight is in its girth. If it is also a triploid, it was not putting any energy into gonadal development, and was not stressed by spawning activities, which usually include periods of not eating. In other words everything came into place to make this an exceptional fish.
