Growth Performance of Monosex and Mixed-Sex Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) in Brackish Water by Using Salt-Tolerant Roughages As Supplementary Food (Report‪)‬

Byline: Muhammad Ismail Chughtai and Abdul Rasul Awan Abstract.- A study was carried out to assess the culture performance of monosex and mixed-sex tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in underground brackish water by using semi-intensive integrated pond system. The experiment was conducted in three earthen ponds for a period of 11 months. In pond-1 (P1), 200 females and in pond-2 (P2), 200 males, while in pond-3 (P3), 100 male and 100 female tilapias were stocked. Salt-tolerant fresh biomass, i.e. Leptochloa fusca (Kallar grass), Brachiaria mutica (Para grass) and Kochia indica (Kochia) was used as supplemental feed. Fertilization of all ponds was done with goat droppings @ 6000 kg ha-1 and nitrophos @ 7.5 kg ha-1. Results indicated that tilapia was found well adapted to the saline environment. The net fish production was calculated as 1295, 1752 and 914 kg ha-1 year-1 in female, male and mixed tilapia ponds, respectively. Male tilapia culture resulted in a significant (Pgreater than0.05) increase in fish production.