Polyculture of bullfrog tadpoles and Nile tilapia fry.

Cristiane Sarturi,Silvia Conceição R.P Mello,Paulo Gustavo Figueiredo,Guilherme M Heluy,Peter C.J Sarmiento,Marcelo M Pereira,Leonardo R.V Ramos,Thiago B.F Jorge

doi:10.1590/0001-3765202120210270

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out to test better stocking proportion according to animal size for tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and tadpole (Lithobates catesbeianus). The experiments were laid out in a completely randomized design with five treatments (in Experiment I) and four treatments (in Experiment II). In Experiment I, the treatments consisted of a tilapia monoculture; a 75% tilapia + 25% tadpole polyculture; a 50% tilapia + 50% tadpole; a 25% tilapia + 75% tadpole; and a tadpole monoculture. In Experiment II, the treatments were represented by a tilapia monoculture; a 12.5% tilapia + 87.5% tadpole polyculture; a 25% tilapia + 75% tadpole; and a tadpole monoculture. In the first trial, mortality rate differed significantly, with the polyculture treatments having almost 100% mortality of tadpoles. In the second experiment, after adjustments in the initial size of the species, there were significant differences between treatments, with the 12.5% tilapia + 87.5% tadpole polyculture and the tadpole monoculture providing the best results. Regardless of the chosen density, for a polyculture of Nile tilapia and bullfrog tadpoles, ideal conditions would be stocking tilapia fry weighing 50% of the weight initial tadpoles and the proportion of one tilapia for seven tadpoles.

Highlights

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is a species widely used in fish farming due to its rapid growth (Little et al 2008)
This study proposes to evaluate the production performance of two species of aquatic organisms from different aquaculture activities, using different polyculture proportion and initial body size of species
The mean temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and total ammonia values throughout the experimental period in the tanks were adequate for the studied aquatic species (Nile tilapia and bullfrog tadpole) (Table I)

Summary

Introduction

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is a species widely used in fish farming due to its rapid growth (Little et al 2008). Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is the main frog species farmed across the world owing to its easy domestication and excellent weight gain in a short time (Pereira et al 2014). This amphibian of the order Anura has a complex life cycle, with two very distinct phases: in the initial phase, the animal is aquatic and, in the second phase, it becomes terrestrial (Wilbur 1980). During the tadpole phase, maintaining water quality in terms of ammonia and pH parameters is essential for better animal growth (Borges et al 2014)

Methods

Results

Conclusion