SRAC

http://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm?catid=11



Tilapia

Life History and Biology



Water temperature

The intolerance of tilapia to low

temperatures is a serious constraint

for commercial culture in temperate

regions. The lower lethal tempera-

ture for most species is 50 to 52o F

for a few days, but the Blue tilapia

tolerates temperatures to about

48o F.

Tilapia generally stop feeding when

water temperature falls below 63o F.

Disease-induced mortality after han-

dling seriously constrains sampling,

harvest and transport below 65o F.

Reproduction is best at water tem-

peratures higher than 80o F and does

not occur below 68o F. In subtropical

regions with a cool season, the num-

ber of fry produced will decrease

when daily water temperature aver-

ages less than 75o F. After 16- to 20-

day spawning cycles with 1/2-pound

Nile tilapia, fry recovery was about

600 fry per female brooder at a water

temperature of 82o F, but only 250

fry per female at 75o F.

Optimal water temperature for

tilapia growth is about 85 to 88o F.

Growth at this optimal temperature

is typically three times greater than

at 72o F.