Improvement of fish production in Benin: Which strain of Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus is recommended to fish farmers?

Controversies on the performance of the tilapia strain Oreochromis niloticus (S2 INRAB, SI), led us to be interested to the evaluating of that strain’s growth in comparison with the strain commonly used by the fish farmers named Faizou’s strain (SF). Fry of average weight 10.17±2.0663 g were stocked in concrete tank (density: 10 individuals/m2). The experiment lasted 60 days where the temperature, oxygen-dissolved and pH parameters were measured morning and evening every 48 hours. The feed used was made from local products at protein level of 45%. The results revealed that physicochemical parameters have no negative influenced on fish growth even though they were significantly different from one strain to another. The gain in weight obtained was significantly higher for the strain SF (38.12±5.65 g) than the SI (37.15±4.99 g) despite it recorded 13.33% more mortality than the SI strain. Above of this, the average daily gain (ADG) of the SF strain was almost linear over the entire study period, unlike the SI strain whose has no linear ADG. It shows that the SF strain is more productive despite the recorded mortality. This confirms the fish farmers’ claims on the lowest growth of the SI strain, which however is to be considered in selection and breeding programmes.