Growth performance, survival rate, flesh, and proximate composition of sex-grouped triploid and diploid Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the growth performance, survival rate, flesh, and proximate composition of sex-grouped triploid and diploid Nile tilapia. The triploid population was obtained through heat shock at 41 °C for 4 min, 4 min after fertilization. Before sexing, 50 fish were reared in aquaria at a density of 1 fish L-1 for 2 months. After sexing, both triploid and diploid fish were grouped into all-male, all-female, and mixed-sex groups and reared in hapas at a density of 10 fish m-2 for 4 months. Each group was replicated three times. The highest body weight, body length, and growth rate were observed in all-male triploids, while the lowest of those parameters were obtained in all-female diploids. The highest survival rate was achieved in both all-male and mixed-sex triploids, and it did not significantly differ from the mixed-sex diploid (P > 0.05). The triploid fish had a higher edible carcass percentage than diploids. Proximate analysis indicated that the crude protein content of triploids was higher than that of diploids, while the crude lipid and ash contents were lower than those of diploids (P < 0.05). Triploid Nile tilapia had the best growth performances, including flesh quantity and quality, compared to diploids.