Effect of High Temperature on Survival, Growth and Feed Conversion Ratio of Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of high water temperature on survival and growth performance of Nile tilapia. Two age groups of female Nile tilapia (9 and 50 days after hatching) were reared at 27, 32, 35 and 37°C water temperatures for 45-60 days. At the end of treatment, the mean survival, total weight, total length, daily growth rate and food conversion ratio of both age groups of fishes were significantly reduced at 35 and 37°C compared to 27 and 32°C (p<0.05). It was concluded that water temperature ranging from 27-32°C seemed to be the most effective for rearing of Nile tilapia juveniles and fries, and higher temperature (>32°C) results in slow growth, reduce feeding efficiency and increase mortality. This study also demonstrated the possible impact of global warming on natural fishery resources. DOI: 10.3126/on.v8i1.4331