Phenotypic variation and breeding implications for growth and salinity tolerance in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) under saline water culture
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Abstract
Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is a key aquaculture species in Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand, where brackish-water farming along the eastern and southern coasts accounts for over 20% of total national production. However, systematic phenotypic data for tilapia under saline-water conditions remain limited. This study evaluated phenotypic variation in growth and salinity tolerance of genetically improved Nile tilapia reared at 32 parts per thousand (ppt) salinity. A total of 4,232 fish from 213 full-sib families were individually tagged with passive integrated transponders (PIT) and reared under commercial-like management. Phenotypic records were analyzed using general linear and logistic regression models. The overall survival rate was high (92.4%). Fish in batch 1 (mean age 150.8 days) showed higher survival (96.1%) but lower body weight (507.9 ± 100.3 g) than batch 2 (528.0 ± 142.0 g, mean age 161.5 days). Males exhibited approximately 10% greater body weight than females. Substantial family-level variation in body weight (range: 46–909 g) indicated strong potential for selective breeding. The phenotypic correlation between body weight and survival was very low (0.02 ± 0.01), suggesting these traits are largely independent. These findings underscore the need for multi-trait selection indices to simultaneously improve growth and salinity tolerance in tilapia breeding programs for sustainable saline-water aquaculture in Thailand.
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