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CICESE researchers were able to adapt tilapia to harvesting conditions in sea water. (Photo: CICESE)
Researchers successfully cultivate tilapia in sea water
(MEXICO, 3/8/2011)
A team of researchers from the state of Baja California have been able to raise tilapia, a freshwater species of high commercial value in seawater.
The research project conducted at the Center for Scientific Research and Advanced Studies of Ensenada (CICESE), showed that over a period of eight months, the tilapia were born in freshwater and acquired an ideal size for the first harvest in seawater.
These results open new possibilities for developing aquaculture in areas where fresh water resources are very limited, as in Baja California.
"We show that here in Baja California, tilapia can be grown in sea water to prevent the use of fresh water," noted Dr. Fernando Bückle, researcher at the Department of Aquaculture, during an interview, accompanied by Dr. Monica Hernandez, co-director of the project.
The experiments were conducted in tanks with a capacity of 30 cubic meters, with recirculation systems designed and built in the Aquaculture Department of CICESE.
The first tank (out of a total of three) resulted in an initial number of 1,040 fish (34.6 fish x m3), which at the end of the harvest yielded 361 kg of high quality tilapia, detailed Fernando Bückle and Monica Hernandez in a statement by CICESE.
The cultivation began with the acquisition of tilapia fry - a hybrid of Oreochromis mossambicus and Oreochromis niloticus of a red colour - which were around an inch in length.
The fish were placed in 1,500-liter tanks containing fresh water, where they remained for a month and a half, until they reached a weight of 5 grams, which is the recommended weight by other authors for transfer to seawater.
The researchers conducted three experiments to determine the minimum time required to achieve the transfer from freshwater to seawater. The first experiment was conducted in 11 days, the second in 10 days and the third in 5 days.
"Fresh water is 0.5 parts per 1000 of salinity (‰) and in five days the fish adapted to 35 ‰, ie sea water. This means it is a very strong osmotic change and which the fish resisted perfectly well. In general, during the process, the mortality was very low and allowed us to divide the fish we had into three pools: one with 3,300 fish, another with 1,040 and the third with 2,020 specimens," said Dr. Bückle.
Already in seawater, the tilapia continued to grow by consuming a diet with 35 per cent protein until they weigh approximately 400 grams (reference of a good size) after five months.
By Laura Fasano
[email protected]
www.seafood.media
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