Finfish Breeding and Hatchery Management

Unit 9 - Breeding of tilapia

9.3. Selection of broodfish and breeding technique

Artificial breeding is undertaken to produce fry on a large scale, reduce mortality and produce monosex seed.

They are asynchronous multiple spawners, spawning naturally in stagnant waters.

Mature broodstock is identified based on their secondary sexual characters, as detailed below:

Character	Male	Female
Body colouration	Dorsal and lateral sides are darker than the ventral region	Dull and grey throughout the body
Size and Shape	elongated, belly not inflated, larger	Stout, belly is inflated, smaller
Genital opening	Papilla elongated and pointed	Round and blunt
Fins	Margins of dorsal, anal and Caudal fins rod, dorsal fin extends beyond the caudal peduncle	Fins without red margins dorsal fin doesnot extend beyond the caudal peduncle
Mouth	Narrower	Wider

• Mature male and female are released in a cement cistern (1 m³) at a ratio of 1 : 3-4
• The male builds a nest (‘lek’) on the bottom and invite a female for mating.
• After spawning, the female collects fertilized eggs in her mouth and leaves the nest.
• The male invites another female for a similar act.
• Like-wise, one male can mate with several females within a short period.