Very useful for aquaculture farmers.

1. Tilapia Seed Production &
Hatchery Management
EMMANUEL M. VERA CRUZ
Freshwater Aquaculture Center
Central Luzon State University

2. 2
Classification
• Pond-based
fry production system
• Hapa-based
• Tank-based

3. 3
What fry to produce?
 FAC Selected Tilapia (FaST)
 Genetically Male Tilapia (GMT)
 Genetically Improved Farmed
Tilapia (GIFT)
 GIFT derived:
 BFAR Improved GET Excel
 GenoMar Supreme Tilapia (GST)
 Salinity Tolerant:
 Brackishwater Enhanced Selected
Tilapia (BEST)
 MOLOBICUS

4. 4
FAC Selected Tilapia (FaST)
 1986
 Inter’l Dev’t Research
Center (IDRC) Fish
Genetics Project at
FAC, CLSU
 Genetically improved
tilapia using within
family selection
 24th generation of
selection
 Broodstock obtained
thru open access

5. 5
Genetically Male Tilapia (GMT)
 Late 1980’s to 1990’s
 Collaboration between
FAC, CLSU &
University of Wales
Swansea, U.K.
 Genetic manipulation
of sex chromosome
 Product of YY-male
technology
 Broodstock obtained
thru accreditation

6. 6
Progeny testing
XX♀ x XY♂ ▲XY♀ x XY♂
Feminization
XX♀ ▲XY♀ XX♀ XY♂ XY♂ YY♂
Progeny testing
XX♀ x YY♂
PROD’N of YY♀
▲XY♀ x YY♂ XY♂ XY♂ XY♂ XY♂ (GMT)
Feminization
▲XY♀ ▲XY♀ ▲YY♀ ▲YY♀ MASS PROD’N of YY♂
▲YY♀ x YY♂
Schematic diagram for the production
of YY males & Genetically Male Tilapia YY♂ YY♂ YY♂ YY♂
in Oreochromis niloticus
YY♂ YY♂ YY♂ YY♂

7. 7
Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia
(GIFT)
 Late 1980’s partnership
between Norwegian
Institute of Aquaculture
Research and nat’l fisheries
institutions (FAC, BFAR,
UPMSI)
 Increasing growth of Nile
tilapia through selective
breeding
 Parental stock: Egypt,
Ghana, Kenya, Senegal,
Philippines (Thailand,
Taiwan, Singapore &
Israel strains)

8. 8
BFAR Improved GET Excel
 Genetically Enhanced
Tilapia - Excellent strain
that has Comparable
advantage with other
tilapia strains of
Enterpreneurial
Livelihood projects
 Parental stocks: 8th
generation GIFT, 13th
generation FaST,
Kenya & Egypt strains
 Broodstock obtained
thru open access

9. 9
GenoMar Supreme Tilapia™ (GST)
 13th generation
 GIFT-derived
 30 – 40% superior in
terms of growth
compared to best
available market
lines
 Survival rate affected
by low temperature

10. 10
Brackishwater Enhanced Selected
Tilapia (BEST)
 Founder stocks
 Euryhaline spp: O. aureus,
O. spilurus & O.
mossambicus
 Best breeds of O. niloticus:
GIFT, FaST, YY males
 GIFT-derived

11. 11
Saline Tilapia MOLOBICUS
 Can tolerate 35 ppt
 Product of
crossbreeding &
backcrossing of O.
mossambicus & O.
niloticus
 BFAR-NIFTDC
(Dagupan City)

12. 12
Natural Reproductive Cycle of Nile tilapia
Nest building (♂) &
courtship
(1 - 5 days) Ovulation & spawning
(< 2 hrs)
Incubation (~10 d)
Nursing
(10-30 d)
Feeding & recovery
(2-4 wks)
• Breed at small size (<40g)
& young age (<6 mons.)
• Breeding is continuous

13. 13
Breeding/Fry Production Cycle
Conditioning
of breeders
Pairing
Collection of eggs/fry
Incubation of eggs &
rearing of fry
Breeders

14. 14
Identification of Male & Female
Anus
Genital Papillae
Male Female

15. 15
Pond-based Fry Production
 Breeders: 1-2/m2; 1♂:3♀
 Pond is fertilized or
complete feeding of
breeders
 Fry collection: 10-18
days after stocking by
scooping at sides of
ponds
 21 – 35 d prod’n cycle
 Seining of broodstock
for conditioning

16. 16
Hapa-based Fry Production
 Using net enclosures
made of polyethylene
netting materials
 Collection of fry from
females mouth or hapa
every 10-15 days, or
 Collection of eggs & yolk-
sac fry from females
mouth every 5-7 days
 Efficient but labor
intensive

17. 17
Structural Features of Hapas
Net
enclosure
Materials Size Stocking
density
Breeding Fine mesh 2.5 x 5 x 1 m (12.5
m2)
4 x 25 x 1 m (100 m2)
2 – 4 fish/m2
Conditioning CC 17 or
GG 14
3 x 6 x 1 m
5-7 fish/m2 (with
aeration)
10-15 fish/m2
(needs aeration
and exchange of
water)
Nursery Fine mesh 2.5 x 5 x 1 m (12.5
m2)
1000-1500 fry/m2
Rearing Fine mesh 2.5 x 5 x 1 m or
4 x 15 x 1 m

18. 18
Breeding Cycle…
 Conditioning
 Separation of
males from
females
 Given highly
nutritious feed
 1-2% BW once
or twice per day

19. 19
Breeding Cycle…
 Selection & Pairing
 Healthy
 Full abdomen
 Reddish/pinkish
abdomen
 Similar size
 2-4 breeders/m2
 3♀: 1♂
 Duration of breeding: 5-
7, 10 or 14 days

20. 20
Breeding Cycle…
 Collection of eggs/fry
 7, 10 or 14 days after
stocking of breeders
 Done early in the morning
or late afternoon
 Breeders are concentrated
at one end of hapa
 Eggs are separated by
stage; Yellow eggs (1-3
days old), Orange eggs (4-5
days old)
 Fry are collected using
nets

21. 21
Production Cycle…
 Incubation
 Downwelling water
flow incubator
 9 L jar -7000-10000
eggs
 Renders eggs gently
roaring each other

22. 22
Factors Contributing to Success in Artificial
Incubation
 Maintenance of good water quality
 Clean with low levels of infective organisms
 Should be inspected daily to remove dead eggs
 Age of seed
 Early stages are the most delicate periods
 Interval between seed collection should be >7 days
 Density of eggs
 Avoid egg clumping & damage to the egg chorion
 Constant rate of flow of water
 Breeding & maternal effects
 Egg size, clutch size & rate of fertilization are affected by
the size & age of female broodstock

23. 23
Production Cycle…
 Rearing of
hatchlings & fry
 Hatchlings or yolk-
sac fry in trays
 First swimming fry
in tanks or hapas
 1000 fry/m2

24. 24
Standard measurements and weights of tilapia fry,
post-fry and fingerlings at a given age
Stage Age
(wk)
Mean TL,
mm
Weight
(g)
Net size
number
Mesh
size, mm
Fry 1 10 0.01-0.05 38 1
Post-fry 2 15 0.06- 0.1 32 3
Post-fry 3 20 0.2 - 0 .4 24 4
Finger. 4 25 0.5 – 1.0 22 6
Finger. 5 45 1.5 - 2.0 17 9
Post
finger.
6 55 2.5 –3.5 14 11

25. 25
Actual sizes of tilapia fingerlings
Length Age after hatching Net size/ABW Ave pcs/kg
1.42 cm
2 weeks Size # 24
0.112 g
8,857
2.50 cm
3 weeks Size # 22
0.325 g
3,077
3.06 cm
1 month Size # 20
0.475 g
2,105
3.81 cm 1 month & 1
week
Size # 17
0.785 g
1,274
4.85 cm
1 month & 2
weeks
Size # 14
1.895 g 528

26. 26
Graders for fry & fingerlings

27. 27
Factors Important for Optimal Seed
Production
 Broodfish condition
 Nutrition (25-40% C.P.)
 Efficiency of seed collection
 Good artificial incubator & hatchery
design
 Good water quality
 DO, Temperature, pH, TAN, H2S

28. 28
Water Quality
Parameter Ideal Range
Temperature 25-35˚C
Dissolved O2 >5 mg/L
pH 6.5-9.0
Ammonia <0.05 mg/L
Nitrite (NO2) < 0.5 mg/L
Nitrate (NO3) less toxic than
NO2
H2S <0.001mg/L
CO2 <50 mg/L

29. 29
Nursing of Tilapia Fry
 Must be nursed in fine mesh hapas with
at least 0.5m depth
 Difference in temp. between transport
water & water in the nursing unit should
be less than 1˚C
 Fry are vulnerable to predation & sensitive
to water quality changes
 Early nursing - 250 fish/m2
 Provided with complete (40-50% CP) or
supplementary feeds
 Up to 2-3 cm size
 Advanced nursing - 100 fish/m2
 To produce larger fish

30. 30
Transportation of Seeds
 Condition to ensure successful transport:
maintain sufficient O2
 Keep the water at low temperature
 Fish should be conditioned first without feeding
to avoid their excrement soiling the water (min.
of 36 hr without feeding)
 Larger fish has greater O2 rqts.
 Fish fed artificially are less robust than those fed
naturally
 Shorter transportation time will allow greater
stocking rate
 Transport should be taken in cooler times
 In hauling box: filled not more than 70%
 Wooden boxes warm up more slowly than metal
 Plastic bag: filled not more than 20%

31. 31
Guide on Number of Seeds per Bag
Size Hours of
Transportation
Number per bag
24 16 – 20 1000 -1500
22 16 – 20 650 -900
17 16 – 20 500
14 16 - 20 200 -300

32. Refinements in Hatchery
Management
32

33. Program Leader/Project Leader
Emmanuel M. Vera Cruz, PhD
Project Staffs
Jose S. Abucay, PhD
Eng. Zaldy Bartolome
Research Assistants
Eddie Boy T. Jimenez
Bethzaida M. Apongol
NATIONAL TILAPIA RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Program B: Innovative approaches in Nile tilapia culture
Project 2: Refinements in grow-out and hatchery
management of Nile tilapia

34. AQUASHADE

35. Complete

36. Top

37. 50%

38. o 2m x 1m x 1m breeding hapas
o Sex ratio: 1male:3 females
o Stocking density: 4 breeders·m-3
o Fry were collected after 15 days

39. Highlights
 Shading can reduce water temperature by
as much as 4.2 C during the hottest
period of the day
 Shading can increase spawning rate by as
much as 28 times (mean: 2.8% vs 77.8%)
during hot season
 Shading can increase seed production by
as much as 75.5 times (mean: 143 vs
10803) during hot season

40. Nursing fingerling for higher
growout yield
 Problem: only around 30% survival rate
during growout
 Solution: growing fingerling for 30-45 days
to achieve larger size post fingerlings prior
to stocking
40