Growth of Nile tilapia post-larvae from broodstock fed diet with different levels of digestible protein and digestible energy

Silia Maria De Negreiros Sousa,Fábio Meurer,André Freccia,Lucélia Tessaro,Lilian Dena Dos Santos,Robie Allan Bombardelli

doi:10.1590/s1516-35982013000800001

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the influence of different levels of digestible energy and digestible protein in diets of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) broodstock on offspring growth during sex reversal stage. A total of 2,700 post-larvae (8.2±0.001 mg) derived from breeders fed nine diets with distinct levels of digestible protein (28, 34 and 40% DP) and digestible energy (2,800; 3,400; and 4,000 kcal DE.kg-1) were stored in twenty-seven 70 L tanks. After 30 days of growth, their average final weight (AFW, g), average weight gain (AWG, g), final standard length (SL, cm), condition factor (CF), specific growth rate (SGR, %/day), stock uniformity (UNI, %), survival (SUR, %) and sex reversal rate (SRR, %) were measured. Although female nutrition is thought to influence the performance or quality of progeny during early life stages, no influence of diets supplied to broodstock was detected on any parameter. Nonetheless, the offspring presented commercially satisfactory growth rates. Thus, diets containing 28% of digestible protein and 2,800 kcal of digestible energy.kg of diet-1 can be used to feed Nile tilapia broodstock without jeopardizing offspring performance during the sex reversal phase.

Highlights

The Nile tilapia production outside its native range (El-Sayed et al, 2005) represents about 8% of the total of freshwater fish produced worldwide (FAO, 2010)
This study was carried out to evaluate the influence of different levels of digestible energy and digestible protein in diets of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) broodstock on offspring growth during sex reversal stage
The broodstock was fed from the 2nd to the 13th months of age with nine diets containing a combination of different levels of digestible protein (28, 34 and 40% of DP) and digestible energy (2,800; 3,400; and 4,000 kcal of DE.kg of diet-1) (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

The Nile tilapia production outside its native range (El-Sayed et al, 2005) represents about 8% of the total of freshwater fish produced worldwide (FAO, 2010) In this scenario, the Brazilian fishery production increased 15.7% in 2009, reaching 1,240,813 t, of which 39% (132,000 t/year) are from tilapia culture (MPA, 2010). Proteins and lipids stand out as the most important nutrients for mobilization and formation of body tissues (Cyrino et al, 2000). Both nutrients play a major role in reproduction (Çek & Yilmaz, 2009), since they are the main components of yolk and have a direct influence on embryonic development (El-Sayed & Kawanna, 2008). There are few studies about the effects of broodstock feeding or nutrition over progeny features in fish (Izquierdo et al, 2001)

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Results