Eyed Rainbow Trout eggs in an incubation jar at Genoa NFH. These eggs are approximately 5 days from hatching.

The Genoa National Fish Hatchery (NFH) is currently holding thousands of four to six inch fish consisting of five different cool and warmwater species for use in the hatchery mussel propagation program.  Some of the host fish are currently infected with the federally endangered winged mapleleaf (Quadrula fragosa) glochidia.  Other fish are infected with other native mussels and the remaining host fish will be infected with mussel glochidia during the 2009 production year or they will be used in host trials for species for which the host fish has not been previously identified.

Rearing some cool and warmwater fish to suitable size for use as a host fish requires the use of live forage as these types of fish will not accept a commercially prepared diet.  The Genoa NFH annually produces hundreds of gallons of fathead minnows for a forage source for the growing host fish.  Due to limited pond rearing space, the high demand for forage, and the timing requirements for small forage availability, the need for forage cannot be met solely by the hatcheries fathead minnow production.  The Ennis NFH plays a critical role in the Genoa NFH’s ability to rear large numbers of quality host fish by supplying the hatchery with rainbow trout eggs from which suitable size forage can be obtained during the critical winter and spring months.

The Genoa NFH received 300,000 rainbow trout eggs from the Ennis NFH throughout the winter of 2008/09.  Approximately 270,000 of these fish will be raised up to 2-3” in length, at which time they will be used as food for the host or brood fish.

Using rainbow trout derived from a certified disease free facility also reduces the chances of disease exposure to the host fish. This extremely critical to fish already infested with mussel glochidia, as therapeutic treatments for diseases may have negative impacts on mussel survival and disease outbreaks could significant mussel propagation.