Salinity Adaptation on The Growth and Survival of Saline Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) for Environmental Sustainability

Abstract

The salin tilapia is a species of euryhaline, which is able to adapt to various levels of salinity ranging from freshwater to brackish and seawater environments. This fish is a genetically engineered product by the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, which is designed for cultivation in high-salinity water environments such as marine ponds and floating net cages. This study aims to evaluate the growth and survival of saline tilapia in the salinity range of 15 ppt to 27 ppt, by ensuring environmental sustainability. This study used a Complete Random Design with 5 treatments and 4 replicates. Key observations include absolute weight growth, daily growth rate, operculum opening, survival rate, and water quality parameters such as temperature, pH, DO, ammonia, and nitrites. The results showed that the best absolute weight growth was 19.65g at 24 ppt salinity, with the highest daily growth rate of 0.018% at the same salinity level. The maximum operculum opening rate is 218 openings/minute at 27 ppt. All treatments showed a 100% survival rate, and the water quality parameters were within an acceptable range for salinity.