Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the reproductive performance of female Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed diets containing different levels of digestible energy (DE). The fish were housed in 15 fiberglass tanks (500 L) in a recirculating system at an average temperature of 27.5 °C. The treatments consisted of five diets with increasing levels of DE (3,200; 3,400; 3,600; 3,800; and 4,000 kcal/kg). The levels of DE did not significantly influence the final weight or the hepatosomatic, gonadosomatic, and visceral fat indices. The absolute fecundity was influenced by the treatments, for which the highest values were observed from the 3,600 kcal/kg DE level and upward. The proximate composition of the fish also had a significant effect on the variables crude protein, ether extract, and ash; the fish fed diets with higher levels of DE exhibited the lowest body protein content, while the accumulation of ether extract exhibited the opposite response. A level of 3,600 kcal/kg of digestible energy should be used in diets with 380 g/kg crude protein and a starch/lipid ratio of 1.33 for female Nile tilapia.
Highlights
Tilapia farming is a growing industry, given that tilapia is the second largest group of freshwater fish cultivated worldwide
This study aimed to evaluate the reproductive performance of female Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed diets containing different levels of digestible energy (DE)
The present study demonstrates that there was no significant effect (P>0.05) of the dietary levels of DE on the performance variables of final weight, Gonadosomatic index (GSI), Hepatosomatic index (HSI), and Visceral fat index (VFI) (Table 3)
Summary
Tilapia farming is a growing industry, given that tilapia is the second largest group of freshwater fish cultivated worldwide. Production of tilapias has a wide distribution, notably in Asia, Africa, and Americas. The global production of tilapia reached 4,507,002 t in 2012, representing 10.2% of total farmed fish production (FAO, 2014). In Brazil, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is the most cultivated species, comprising approximately 46% (253,000 t) of the freshwater fish production (Ministério da Pesca e Aquicultura, 2011). Nile tilapia have early sexual maturation and are multiple spawners, meaning that they can reproduce throughout the year, with short vitellogenic periods (Izquierdo et al, 2001),. A physiological process that demands a high metabolic rate. The low fecundity combined with the asynchronous spawning are factors that influence its commercial expansion (Tsadik Getinet, 2008)
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