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Potential for the culture of Tilapia guineensis (Bleeker, 1862): A comparative growth performance with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in a fresh water pondAmos Asase, Emmanuel Sesi Acolatse, Alexander Kyeremeh Apraku, Justice Eric Darko. Abstract | | | | A 10-week trial was conducted to study the culture potential of Tilapia guineensis by comparing its growth performance with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in a hapa-in-pond system. Mixed sex juveniles (29.90 ± 0.05g) of each of the species were stocked at a rate of 10 fish/m2 and fed with a 38% crude protein commercial diet for a period of 10 weeks. The two treatments were replicated thrice. Results from the study showed that T. guineensis exhibited similar (p > 0.05) final body weight (63.08 ± 4.46g) as O. niloticus (62.86 ± 2.67g). The specific growth rates between the two treatments (1.07 ± 0.07 %/day for O. niloticus and 1.05 ± 0.11%/day for T. guineensis) were also not significantly different. Gross yield and survival rates were observed to be higher in O. niloticus (1149.69 ± 60.87g; 87.50 ± 2.89%) than T. guineensis (1044.02 ± 98.90g; 82.50 ± 1.77%) although the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The study concluded that under prevailing experimental conditions, T. guineensis could equally be considered for culture in freshwater ponds as O. niloticus and extended to some brackish water environments as well.
Key words: Aquaculture, brackish water, growth rate, Tilapia guineensis
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