Open AccessGROWTH OF HYBRID TILAPIA FRY FED NITROGEN FIXING MARINE BLUE‐GREEN ALGAE IN SEAWATER
Author(s) -
Murray Robert L.,
Mitsui Akira
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of the world mariculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0735-0147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-7345.1982.tb00027.x
Subject(s) - biology , tilapia , blue green algae , algae , seawater , dry weight , anabaena , zoology , nostoc , botany , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , food science , cyanobacteria , ecology , bacteria , genetics
Ninety‐one strains of nitrogen fixing marine blue‐green algae were tested for their nutritional value for seawater adapted hybrid tilapia fry ( Tilapia mossambica females x Tilapia hornorum males) with initial weights of 0.2 to 1.3 g. The majority of these blue‐green algae were acceptable single ingredient feeds for the fish when the increase in wet body weight was used as a measure of food value. Twenty‐two of the marine blue‐green algal strains tested, belonging to the genera Nostoc, Anabaena and Calothrix , supported daily weight gains in excess of 10% when the fish were fed to excess in 5 to 7 day feeding trials. Fish fed to excess on several selected blue‐green algal strains had growth rates equivalent to those of fish fed to excess on a complete ration. Excellent food conversion ratios (dry weight blue‐green algae fed/wet weight gain) in the range of 1.48 to 1.81 were obtained when the fish were fed three selected nutritive blue‐green algal strains at a daily rate of 10% of the body weight.