TILAPIA CULTURE

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TILAPIA CULTURE
by Leonard Lovshin Department of Fisheries and
Allied Aquacultures Auburn University, AL 36849
U.S.A.
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Tilapia are native to Africa, Israel and Jordan
Best growth- above 250C
Spawning - above 200C
Death- 10 to 120C
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Popular Cultured Tilapias
Mozambique Tilapia
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Food Habits
Tilapia feed low on the food chain
phytoplankton
zooplankton
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Tilapia can be cultured in fresh and salt water.
1. All tilapia can be grown in fresh
water.
2. Mossambique tilapia and red tilapia with
Mossambique tilapia genes can be grown
in salt water.
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Females incubate eggs
Reproduction
Males dig and defend a nest
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Tilapia can be spawned in
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Fry can be harvested
1. 18 days after stocking brood fish
2. 40 days after stocking brood fish
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Fry can be
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Eggs can be removed from females
Incubating tilapia eggs
Yolk-sac tilapia fry
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Tilapia can be cultured as
1. Mixed sexes - males and females together 2.
Mono-sex - only males
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Grow-out
Mixed-sex Culture
Advantages 1. Technically easy Disadvantages
1. Small harvest weight 2. Mixed sizes at
harvest
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Mono-sex culture
Advantages 1. Large harvest weight 2.
Uniform size at harvest Disadvantages 1.
Technically difficult
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Stocking a predacious fish with mixed-sex
tilapia will control tilapia density and increase
final harvest weight.
Largemouth bass in the U. S. A.
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Mono-sex male tilapia populations can be
produced by 1. Visual selection 2.
Hybridization 3. Sex-reversal 4. Genetic
manipulation
Male Populations
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Visual Selection of the Genital Papilla
Female papilla with oviduct
anus
Male papilla
anus
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Hybridization
Male Hornorum tilapia
ZZ
XZ
XX
Female Nile tilapia
All-male hybrid tilapia
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Sex Reversal of Tilapia Fry
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Genetic Manipulation
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Tilapia are raised in
Small earthen ponds
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Tilapia are raised in
Large earthen ponds
Harvested tilapia are held in net enclosures
while waiting to be loaded onto trucks for
transport to processors.
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Tilapia are raised in
Floating cages
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Tilapia are raised in
Circular tanks with partial water exchange and
mechanical aeration
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Tilapia are raised in
Raceways with constant water exchange
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Tilapia are raised in
Indoors with water reuse, mechanical aeration and
oxygen injection
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Tilapia ponds can be fertilized with organic and
inorganic fertilizers to increase yield
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Tilapia can be fed to increase yield
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Tilapia can be fed
Agricultural by-products Pelleted feeds
sinking
wheat bran
cottonseed meal
rice bran
floating
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Tilapia can be sold to
Neighbors and Friends
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Tilapia can be purchased
At supermarkets and fish shops
fresh and frozen fillets
whole on ice
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Tilapia farming in the U. S.

• 1. Most production is from enclosed, water reuse
  systems because of cold winter water
  temperatures.
• 2. Production costs are high.
• 3. Most tilapia are sold live or whole iced.
• 4. Presently, U. S. producers cant compete with
  producers in tropical climates for processed
  tilapia.
• 5. Fresh fillets are imported from Central and
  South America.
• 6. Frozen whole tilapia and fillets are imported
  from Asia.

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Advantages of Farming Tilapia

• feeds low on the food chain
• 2. accepts wide range of feeds
• 3. resistant to poor water quality, disease and
  handling
• 4. good flesh quality
• 5. fingerlings easy to produce year round

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Disadvantages of raising tilapia

• sensitive to low water temperatures
• 2. reach sexual maturity at a young age
• 3. males grow faster than females
• 4. difficult to harvest from earthen ponds with
  a seine
• 5. low dressout percentage of fillet

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Over 2.0 million mt of farmed tilapia were
harvest world-wide in 2004. ChinagtEgyptgtIndonesi
a U. S. tilapia Production 2004 9,000 MT
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EAT MORE TILAPIA
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The End