Growth and Predator-Prey Interaction of Asian Seabass, Lates calcarifer and Sabaki Tilapia, Oreochromis spilurus in Polyculture System

Abstract

A study was conducted to assess the growth and predator-prey interaction of Asian seabass and Sabaki tilapia in polyculture ponds (0.1 ha) for a period of 180 days. Ponds stocked with tilapia (3000/0.1 ha) alone were considered as control, whereas ponds stocked with tilapia at 3000 + Seabass 600/0.1 ha were considered as Treatment 1 and the ponds stocked with tilapia at 5000 + Seabass 600/0.1 ha were designated as Treatment 2. Significant difference (p < 0.01) in growth and production was observed between control and treatments. Better feed conversion ratio was observed in Seabass compared to tilapia in control. In tilapia, gonad maturation was started in second month onward and the highest ovary development was recorded in 3–6 months of culture, whereas gonad development of Seabass was in rudimentary stage. A combination stock of tilapia at 5000 and Seabass at 600/0.1 ha brought 86% higher profit than the monoculture of tilapia. Polyculture of tilapia with Seabass is ideal to control the prolific breeding and population explosion of tilapia in culture ponds.