TILAPIA CULTURE

Water Temperatures for: Tilapia are native to Africa, Israel and Jordan Best growth- above 77 0 F Spawning - above 68 0 F Death- 50 to 54 0 F

Nile Tilapia Mozambique Tilapia Blue Tilapia Red Tilapia Popular Cultured Tilapias

Food Habits Tilapia feed low on the food chain phytoplankton zooplankton

Tilapia can be cultured in fresh and salt water. 1. All tilapia can be grown in fresh water. 2. Mozambique tilapia and red tilapia with Mozambique tilapia genes can be grown in salt water.

Males dig and defend a nest Reproduction and defend the fry Females incubate eggs

Tilapia can be spawned in: 1. ponds 2. cages 3. tanks

Fry can be harvested: days after hatch days after hatch

Fry can be: 1. Partial harvested 2. Completely harvested Brooder removal Fry removal

Eggs can be removed from females: Incubating tilapia eggs Yolk-sac tilapia fry

Tilapia can be cultured as: 1. Mixed sexes - males and females together 2. Mono-sex - only males

Advantages: 1. Technically easy Disadvantages: 1. Small harvest weight 2. Mixed sizes at harvest Grow-out: Mixed-sex Culture

Advantages: 1. Large harvest weight 2. Uniform size at harvest Disadvantages: 1. Technically difficult Mono-sex culture

Stocking a predacious fish with mixed-sex tilapia will control tilapia density and increase final harvest weight. Largemouth bass in the U. S. A. Peacock bass in South America

Mono-sex male tilapia populations can be produced by: 1. Visual selection 2. Hybridization 3. Sex-reversal 4. Genetic manipulation Male Populations

Visual Selection of the Genital Papilla Male papilla Female papilla with oviduct anus

Hybridization Male Hornorum tilapia Female Nile tilapia All-male hybrid tilapia

Sex Reversal of Tilapia Fry

Genetic Manipulation 1) XX F + XY M estrogen XX F + XY ”F” 2) XY ”F” x XY M XX F + 2 XY M + YY M 3) XX F x YY M 100% XY M

Tilapia are raised in: Small earthen ponds

Tilapia are raised in: Large Earthen Ponds

Tilapia Raised In Floating Cages

Tilapia are raised in: Circular tanks with partial water exchange and mechanical aeration

Tilapia are raised in: Raceways with constant water exchange

Tilapia are raised in: Indoors with water reuse, mechanical aeration and oxygen injection

Tilapia ponds can be fertilized with organic and inorganic fertilizers to increase yield

Tilapia can be fed to increase yield

Tilapia can be fed Agricultural by-products sinking floating cottonseed meal wheat bran rice bran Pelleted diets

Tilapia can be sold to Neighbors and Friends

Tilapia can be purchased At supermarkets and fish shops whole on ice fresh and frozen fillets

Global tilapia aquaculture exceeds salmon in 2009

Tilapia ( June 2007, Tesco, UK ) $8 US per lb whole fish!!!!

Imports in 2008 were $696,085,981 US production of 20,000,000 lbs at farm 2009 US tilapia farm-gate sales over $55,000, US Tilapia Sales estimate – $696,085,981 + $55,000,000 = $751,085,981 US Sales of tilapia

Tilapia farming in the U. S. 1.Most production is from enclosed, water reuse system 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 can’t compete with producers in tropical climates for processed tilapia. 5.Fresh fillets are imported from Central and South America. 6.Frozen fillets are imported from Asia.

Advantages of Farming Tilapia 1.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

Disadvantages of raising tilapia 1.Reach sexual maturity at a young age 2.Males grow faster than females 3.Difficult to harvest from earthen ponds with a seine 4.Low percentage of fillet removed from body

Over 3.1 billion pounds of farmed tilapia are harvest world-wide yearly. Major producers are: China > Philippines > Thailand U. S. tilapia Production in 2000: 18,191,000 lbs

New product forms Smoked tilapia Sashimi grade tilapia

Tilapia and food service On almost all cruise ships Starting to appear on airlines Increasingly with schools, hospitals and prisons Several prisons have their own tilapia farms Courtesy: Eric Roderick

Byproducts - Tilapia Leather

Tilapia Orange Juice

Tilapia pedicures

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