19-02-20
TILAPIA
BIOLOGY
DISTRIBUTION
LIFE CYCLE
BASIC ZOOTECHNICS
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Slide 1 - “Aquaculture for Food and Jobs” – Training Brussels 2019
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TILAPIA: A BIT OF HISTORY
The Nile tilapia is one of the first fish raised by
mankind. The Egyptians raised it for ornamental
purposes as evidenced by a low relief discovered
on a tomb dated 4000 years. Carp farming did
not begin to develop in China until 1000 years
later!
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TILAPIA: A BIT OF HISTORY
• THE FIRST "MODERN" BREEDING TRIALS WOULD
DATE BACK TO 1924 IN KENYA
• FROM THE 1940S AND 1950S, SETTLER WORK IN
THE BELGIAN CONGO AND KATANGA LAID THE
FOUNDATION FOR RATIONAL FISH FARMING.
• THE ANGLO-BELGIAN FISHING CONFERENCE OF
1949 MARKS THE BIRTH OF MODERN TILAPIA FISH
FARMING.
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TILAPIA EXTERNAL ANATOMY
• BELONGS TO THE CICHLIDS
FAMILY
• SHAPED LIKE SNAPPER BUT WITH
INTERRUPTED LATERAL LINE
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TILAPIA SPECIES & DISTRIBUTION
• TILAPIA IS NATIVE TO AFRICA
• AROUND 70 DIFFERENT SPECIES WITH
DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS
• AROUND 20 SPECIES SUITABLE FOR
AQUACULTURE
• CURRENTLY NILE TILAPIA AND BLUE
TILAPIA ARE THE MOST FARMED
• OTHER SPECIES ARE USED TO PRODUCE
HYBRIDED TILAPIA WITH IMPROVED
PERFOMANCES
• 3 GENERA ACCORDING TO
REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR
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TILAPIA SPECIES
• NILE TILAPIA
• MOST FAMOUS FOR AQUACULTURE
• GROW FAST
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TILAPIA SPECIES
• BLUE TILAPIA
• TOLERANT TO LOWER TEMPERATURE
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TILAPIA SPECIES
• MOZAMBIQUE TILAPIA
• TOLERANT TO SALINITY
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TILAPIA SPECIES
• REDBELLY TILAPIA (ZILLII)
• TILAPIA MACROCHIR
• TILAPIA RENDALI
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TILAPIA STRAINS
• NEW STRAINS (HYBRID)
PRODUCED FOR AQUACULTURE
CROSSING DIFFERENT TILAPIA
SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES TO
OBTAIN FISH WITH IMPROVED
PERFOMANCES FOR
AQUACULTURE AND MORE
SUITABLE FOR SPECIAL
FARMING CONDITIONS
(TEMPERATURE, SALINITY…) OR
FOR RED COLOUR.
• GIFT TILAPIA
• RED TILAPIA
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TILAPIA STRAINS
• TILAPIA FARMING NEEDS ALL
MALES POPULATIONS
• GMT (GENETICALLY MALE
TILAPIA) ARE PRODUCED USING
HYBRID TILAPIAS
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TILAPIA STRAINS - BACK TO AFRICA
• GIFT TILAPIA DEVELOPPED
IN ASIA BUT TRANSFERED
TO AFRICA AND OTHER
COUNTRIES
• ALTHOUGH THE
IMPORTANT NATURAL
TILAPIA GENETIC
RESOURCES ARE IN
AFRICA, THE MAJOR
AQUACULTURE
INDUSTRIES AT PRESENT
ARE IN ASIA.
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TILAPIA GLOBAL PRODUCTION
• TILAPA IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR AQUACULTURE SPECIES AND
ONE OF THE MOST TRADED SEAFOOD COMMODITIES
• >5 MILLIONS TONS IN 2016 (FAO)
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TILAPIA PRODUCTION
• “TILAPIA IS NO LONGER AN
AFRICAN FISH BUT AN
INTERNATIONAL FISH AND HAS
BECOME ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT FARMED FISH IN THE
WORLD
• TILAPA IS ONE OF THE MOST
POPULAR AQUACULTURE SPECIES
• >5 MILLIONS TONS IN 2016 (FAO)
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TILAPIA – NATURAL FEEDING
• THE TILAPIAS OF THE GENUS
OREOCHROMIS, AND PARTICULARLY
OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS PRESENT AN
OPPORTUNISTIC DIET CLOSER TO THAT
OF AN OMNIVOROUS-DETRITORY FISH
THAN STRICTLY
PHYTOPLANKTONOPHAGOUS.
• THE MAXIMUM WEIGHT OBSERVED FOR
O. NILOTICUS IS 4.3 KG.
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TILAPIA LIFE CYCLE
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TILAPIA LIFE CYCLE
CVVC
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TILAPIA STEPS IN THE REPRODUCTION
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TILAPIA COURTSHIP VIDEO (2 MIN)
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TILAPIA LIFE CYCLE
• MOUTH BREEDER
• VERY EFFICIENT REPRODUCTION
BEHAVIOUR
• 500 – 700 EGGS BY FEMALE
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TILAPIA LIFE CYCLE
USE OF INCUBATORS IN HATCHERY
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TILAPIA LIFE CYCLE
EGGS DEVELOPMENT
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TILAPIA FROM EGG TO JUVENILES
AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS
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TILAPIA LIFE CYCLE
• EGGS
• FRY
• FINGERLINGS
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TILAPIA LIFE CYCLE
• ADULTS
• BREEDERS
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TILAPIA MONOSEX PRODUCTION
• NEED TO FARM ONLY MALES TO
AVOID UNCONTROLED
REPRODUCTIONS
• MALES GROWS FASTER THAN
FEMALE
• 3 TECNIQUES:
• MANUAL SEPARATION
• HORMONAL REVERSION
• GMT TILAPIA
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TILAPIA MONOSEX PRODUCTION
• TILAPIA MALES
GROWS FASTER THAN
FEMALE
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TILAPIA MONOSEX PRODUCTION
MANUAL
SEPARATION
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TILAPIA MONOSEX PRODUCTION
CVVC
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TILAPIA MONOSEX
PRODUCTION
• SEX REVERSAL USING
HORMONE
• 50 MG 17 ΑLPHA METHYL
TESTOSTERONE / KG FEED
• 21-28 DAYS
• 40% PROTEINS
• 12-15% BIOMASS
• 6 TIMES A DAY
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TILAPIA MONOSEX PRODUCTION
• HORMONAL SEX REVERSION
• PRODUCE +95% MALES
• ALLOWS CONTROL OF
REPRODUCTION IN TANKS
• MALES GROW FASTER
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TILAPIA MONOSEX PRODUCTION
• YY « SUPER MALE »
TECHNOLOGY
• BREEDING OF YY
MALES WITH XY
FEMALES TO PRODUCE
GENETICALLY MALES
TILAPIA OFFSPRING
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TILAPIA
TILAPIA HAVE BECOME “FOOD FISH OF THE 21ST CENTURY” DUE TO ITS:
• FAST GROWTH
• TOLERANCE TO A WIDE RANGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS (SUCH
AS TEMPERATURE, SALINITY, LOW DISSOLVED OXYGEN, ETC.)
• RESISTANCE TO STRESS AND DISEASE
• ABILITY TO REPRODUCE IN CAPTIVITY AND SHORT GENERATION TIME.
• FEEDING ON LOW TROPHIC LEVELS & ACCEPTANCE OF ARTIFICIAL FEEDS
• READY MARKET
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TILAPIA – VIDEO (AIT THAILAND) 5MIN
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