Vol. 12, Special Issue 11 (2023)

Author(s):
Dharmesh Sapra, Vivek Shrivastava, Vishal Rathod, Mahavadiya DR and Jora Kiran

Abstract:
Oreochromis niloticus, a member of the Cichlidae family, is a globally cultivated finfish species and is commonly raised in environments with varying levels of salinity. The state of Gujarat in India has a vast inland saline water area, offering potential for aquaculture development. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of varying salinities on the growth, survival, and physiological responses of Tilapia in this inland saline environment. The experimental study was conducted at Aqua Fish Farm in Ranagadh, Surendranagar, Gujarat, using a Completely Randomized Design with four treatment groups with different salinity [(Control, T₀, 0 ppt ), (T₁, 5 ppt), (T₂, 10 ppt) and (T₃, 15 ppt)] and a duration of experiment was 90 days. Healthy advanced fry of the Oreochromis sp. were stocked at a density of 30 individuals per experimental unit. The results showed that the optimal growth performance was observed in the T₁ treatment group (5 ppt), while the lowest growth performance was observed in the T₃ treatment group with 15 ppt salinity and lowest Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) was recorded in the T₁ treatment group as indicated by various growth parameters including Specific Growth Rate (SGR), (Protein Efficiency Ratio) PER, Feed Efficiency Ratio (FER), and Average Weight Gain (AWG). The study also assessed the physiological responses of Tilapia to varying salinities, and the results showed a positive correlation between increasing salinity levels and the activities of Alanine Transaminase (ALT) and Aspartate Transaminase (AST). The activities of ALT and AST were highest in the T₃ treatment group and lowest in the control group, which suggest that salinity is a significant environmental factor affecting liver health and function in the fish. The study concludes that Oreochromis niloticus can be cultured in the inland saline region of Surendranagar at salinities up to 5 ppt without significantly compromising growth performance.