Tilapia egg incubation trial at SODEPAL

Animal production in Gabon is low particularly in the fish farming sector. Against this backdrop a trial of larval production by artificial incubation of Oreochromis niloticus eggs was carried out in the Parc de la Lékédi. A total of 60 broodstock including 15 males and 45 females were collected in the wild and seeded into 3 x 5 m2 breeding tanks. Individual weights ranged from 150 to 350 g with an average of 224 g. Total lengths ranged from 20 to 26 cm. These broodstock were fed a 3 mm floating pelleted complete feed once a day each morning. After an adaptation period of 2 weeks egg collection from the mouths of the females began and lasted 4 months. The eggs were incubated in 1.5 l plastic bottles with a conical shape towards the beak after being disinfected in a 30% formaldehyde solution. The physico-chemical parameters of the water were not controlled throughout the trial. As a result egg development was possible under these conditions but the survival rate was less than 1%.