Study on Production Performance and Economic Benefits between Mixed-sex and Mono-sex Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Study on Production Performance and Economic Benefits between Mixed-sex and Mono-sex Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
JFAR
Study on Production Performance and Economic Benefits
between Mixed-sex and Mono-sex Tilapia (Oreochromis
niloticus)
1Aruna Rani Deb, 2Mrityunjoy Kunda, *3Sabiha Sultana Marine, 4Md. Jahidul Islam
1,2,4Department of Aquatic Resource Management, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
3
Department of Fisheries Technology and Quality Control, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
The study was conducted to assess the comparison at the production performance and
profitability between mixed-sex and mono-sex tilapia reared in cage culture. The experiment was
carried out with two treatments and each was represented by six replicates for a period of 99 days
in 12 cages each with the size of 1.5m3 (1.5m×1m×1m) situated in a pond. In the first treatment,
six cages of mixed-sex tilapia and in the second treatment, 6 cages of mono-sex male tilapia were
stocked. After 99 days of the culture period, mono-sex tilapia attained a significantly higher mean
final weight of 189.67 gm ± 19.142 in comparison to mixed-sex tilapia which was 167.15 gm ±
13.297. However, there was no significant difference in food conversion ratio, specific growth rate,
and survival rate between the treatments at the end of the study. The benefit-cost ratio was
calculated as 1.47:1 and 1.59:1 for mixed-sex and mono-sex male tilapia respectively. The study
revealed that there was no significant difference in individual weight, biomass, and the gross yield
of tilapia between two treatments up to 72 days of the culture period. The comparative study
suggested that within 2.5 months of the culture period, mixed-sex tilapia can be cultured
successfully and could be used as an alternative source to the general people who usually avoid
the consumption of hormone-treated fish.
Keywords: Cage culture, mono-sex, tilapia, growth, production, Bangladesh
INTRODUCTION
The Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) is
an African freshwater cichlid and have been successfully
cultured in many parts of the world, particularly in
developing countries under various environmental
conditions (Pillay and Kutty, 2005; Dagne et al., 2013; El-
Sayed, 2019). They are observed as sturdy, productive,
fast-growing, can survive on a low trophic level food, have
higher Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), and strong immune
system (Dagne et al. 2013). They can easily breed under
the captive condition and more suitable to grow in a
developing country such as Bangladesh. The Nile tilapia
has become the shining star in the field of aquaculture.
Due to the popularity and expansion of tilapia farming, the
consumption rate has increased at a greater scale (Ogello
et al. 2014). In 2017, worldwide tilapia production was
estimated at 6.5 million metric tonnes from culture fisheries
and about 1 million tonnes from capture fisheries which
contributed $12 billion in the world economy (FAO, 2018).
In Bangladesh, annually inland tilapia production was
recorded as 384,737 metric tonnes in 2017-18 (Fisheries
Statistics of Bangladesh, 2018). The increasing trend of
tilapia production indicates future prospects in various
markets from luxurious restaurants to home consumptions
all around the world (Avnimelech, 2011).
*Corresponding Author: Sabiha Sultana Marine;
Department of Fisheries Technology and Quality Control,
Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh. Email:
marine.ftqc@sau.ac.bd
Co-Author 1
Email: arnadeb@gmail.com;
2
Email: kunda.arm@sau.ac.bd;
4
Email: mjislam.arm@sau.ac.bd
Research Article
Vol. 5(1), pp. 061-070, May, 2020. © www.premierpublishers.org, ISSN: 9901-8810
Journal of Fisheries and Aquaculture Research

Deb et al. 062
The Nile tilapia is suited for both monoculture and
polyculture or in cage culture (Shoko et al. 2014). Among
other species of tilapia, O. niloticus was found to be easily
and profitably cultured in cages using a semi-intensive
culture system with locally available feeding materials of
plant and/or animal origin (Liti et al. 2005). Cage culture in
the pond is a very convenient and efficient way to culture
tilapia in captive conditions. Cage fish culture uses existing
water resources and commercially manufactured feeds.
The feeding rate limit for a fed pond is influenced by the
capacity of the pond’s microbial population that assimilate
and decompose fish/aquatic waste products such as
ammonia and other solid materials (Rakocy et al. 2004).
Tilapia has shown improved growth rates when cultured in
cages rather than in open ponds as the cages restrict the
area of each fish available to move and thus save energy
for growth (Rojas and Wadsworth, 2007).
High fish production and improved growth potential is the
major target of fish farmers. Due to the faster growth, high
disease resistance capability, and good market value, Nile
tilapia has become a culturally significant finfish species
and is highly relished by the consumers in Bangladesh
(Ferdoushi et al. 2019). They have rapid reproductive
capability under mixed-sex culture in ponds and the
recruits attain sexual maturity when they are 2-3 months
old (Sule, 2004). Mature females can breed once in a
month especially under favourable environmental
conditions (Lucas et al. 2019). This feature contributes to
a significant number of overcrowded and stunted
individuals in the pond that does not attract buyers if they
are harvested for sale (Sule et al. 1996). This unexpected
reproduction and the resulting consumer's disrelish
towards stunted fish is therefore essential to curb or
eliminate properly (Towers, 2005).
There are a number of methods that are used for the past
decades to address this problem include cage culture,
hybridisation, irradiation, sex reversal, stocking with other
fish, and mono-sex culture (Bardach et al. 1972; Allison et
al. 1976). Farmers preferred mono-sex (all male) tilapia
culture over mixed cultures as males grow twice as fast as
females (Fortes, 2005). There is a growing body of
literature evaluating the comparative growth performance
of mixed-sex and mono-sex Nile tilapia in the pond culture
system. For example, Sule (2004) conducted a study to
evaluate the growth performance of mono-sex (all female
and all males separately) and mixed-sex tilapia using 25
% crude protein fish feed in the earthen pond and found
the FCR, weight gain, and survival rate (%) are higher in
all males than all females and mixed-sex population. Little
et al. (2003) studied the growth and survival of mixed-sex
and mono-sex tilapia fries nursed for two, four, or six
months in fertilised earthen ponds. Their study found the
growth and survival rate is higher in mono-sex tilapia than
the mixed-sex population. Similarly, a study conducted by
Githukia et al. (2015) found an improved level of survival
rate (%), SGR, FCR, and Condition Factor (CF) in male
mono-sex than the mixed-sex in earthen pond. However,
there has been a debate around the culture of mono-sex
tilapia that is not always superior to the culture of mixed-
sex tilapia in different culture systems (Little and Edwards,
2004; Kamaruzzaman et al. 2009).
In Bangladesh, there is a perception in the general people
that there may have some negative effect of the synthetic
hormone (17 alpha-methyl testosterone) on human health
which is used for sex-reversal tilapia production
(Megbowon and Mojekwu, 2014). Therefore, a large
number of consumers do not prefer to use mono-sex tilapia
for home consumption though several studies have proven
that there is no adverse effect of sex reversal hormones
on fish, humans, and the environment (Chakraborty, 2016)
However, the effects of the hormones and its by-products
on important organs such as gills, liver, pancreas, and
kidney were not confirmed (Megbowon and Mojekwu,
2014). As the tilapia farming is growing rapidly in
Bangladesh, it is necessary to give priorities in consumers’
choice as well as farmers’ profitability, especially the
marginal and medium category farmers. In literature, a
number of studies have evaluated the growth performance
of mixed-sex and mono-sex tilapia in the earthen pond
(Little et al. 2003; Liti et al., 2005, Dagne et al., 2013,
Gómez-Márquez et al., 2015, Githukia et al., 2015, Dagne
and Yimer, 2018), but little research has done to compare
the production performance between these two groups of
fishes in cage cultures. Hence, the study has evaluated
and compared the production performance and economic
viability between mixed-sex and mono-sex tilapia in the
cage culture system in Bangladesh.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study period and area
The study was carried out at Sylhet division, located at
north-eastern (24°30′N- 91°40′E) part of Bangladesh
comprising of 12,298.4 square km situated in the pond
near Central Mosque of the Sylhet Agricultural University,
Sylhet.
Cage preparation and set up
Twelve cages were constructed each with a size of 1.5 m3
(1.5m × 1m × 1m). The cages were constructed of bamboo
frames fitted with a blue nylon net tied with nylon twines.
The mesh size was small enough, i.e., 0.8 cm, which
helped to prevent the escape of fish fry and the passage
of a large amount of water through the cages. One edge
of the upper side of each cage was kept open and bound
to nylon threads for management purposes, such as
feeding, sampling, and harvesting of fish. Empty capped
plastic bottles of two-litre size were fixed at every upper
corner of the cage to keep it floating. Each cage was tied
up with a rope to fix it on the bank of the water body. Cages
were settled into the water with bamboo poles one week
prior to stocking of tilapia fry. To prevent floating feeds

J. Fish. Aquacul. Res. 063
escaping from the cages by the natural flow of water, all
the cages were covered with a fine-meshed net to a length
of 15 cm from the water surface to downwards. Long
bamboo platforms between cage and pond banks have
been built for ease of feed supply and regular cage
surveillance.
Experimental design
The experiment was carried out for a period of 99 days
from 7 May to 12 August 2014 in 12 cages situated in the
pond near Central Mosque of the Sylhet Agricultural
University, Sylhet (Figure 1). The study consisted of two
treatments with six replicates. Mixed-sex tilapia were
stocked in treatment-I and mono-sex (all-male) tilapia were
stocked in treatment-II. All the tilapia fries i.e., mixed, or
mono-sex tilapia were collected from the same area. The
stocking size of the tilapia was the same (around 1.7 g - 2
g) in all the treatments. Stocking density was 70 individual
m-3, i.e., 105 fries stocked in each of the cages. The
farming of tilapia with a stocking density around 70-75
individuals m-3 in cage culture was found viable for
producing low- cost food fish (FAO, 2016).
Figure 1: Field image and design of the experiment
Stocking of tilapia
A total of 1260 tilapia fry (both mixed-sex and mono-sex)
were collected from Delta Agro Fisheries, Uttar Para,
Chotokhurma, Kamal Bazar, Bishwonath, Sylhet district.
The fries were transported by pick-up van with two
separate large plastic drums where one containing all
mixed-sex and other containing all mono-sex tilapia fry.
During transportation, water in the plastic containers was
agitated manually to add oxygen from the air. According to
the treatment type, in each cage 105 fries were stocked
and the initial stocking size was around 1.7 g- 2 g.. All fries
were stocked early in the morning.
Management of tilapia
In this study, commercial starter feed (locally known as
Misha Floating Fish Feed) and grow-out feed (locally
known as Paragon Floated Feed) were used for feeding
technique. Feeding was started with commercial starter
feed at 30 % of the bodyweight of fish in the first month
and after 45 days when the weight was around 30 gm then
the grow-out feed was introduced. The grow-out feed was
gradually decreased up to 4 % of body weight in the last
month of study. Feeds were spread over the cages through
the upper opening. Total feed for a day was divided into
two equal half and supplied in the morning between 8.00 -
9.00 a.m. and in the evening at 5.00 - 6.00 p.m. Feeding
rates were adjusted every seven days depending on the
mean body weight and stage of growth. The net of the
cages was cleaned once in a week. Data was recorded
very carefully.
Sampling of tilapia
Feeding status was monitored regularly on a daily basis.
Cage and fish health conditions were checked fortnightly.
For sampling purposes, length and weight of randomly
selected 20 individuals were measured and recorded from
each cage at fortnightly throughout the study period. The
sampling was done for around 2- 3 hours started at 11.00
a.m. in the morning. The length of fish was measured by a
wooden scale and the weight of fish was measured by a
digital weighing machine. Initial individual body weights of
fishes were recorded at the time of initiation of the
experiment. At the end of the study, all fishes were
captured and used for measurements.
Monitoring of water quality
Water samples were collected fortnightly in small plastic
bottles from the experimental cages on the sampling days.
Water quality parameters such as water temperature,
transparency, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, CO2, NH3, Total
Dissolved Solids (TDS), hardness, and nitrite were
recorded fortnightly during sampling. Water temperature
was measured by an alcohol thermometer. A dissolved
oxygen meter was used to determine the dissolved oxygen
level of water. Transparency of water was measured using
a Secchi disc and pH with a pH meter. A digital TDS meter
was used to measure TDS of water. Total alkalinity and
other parameters were determined titrimetrically in the
laboratory.
Estimation of growth, yield, and survival of tilapia
Throughout the experimental period, weight gains of fishes
at different treatments in different sampling dates have
been recorded and growth performances in different
stocking densities were calculated using the standard
formula. At the end of the study, fishes were harvested and
sold in a local market. During harvesting, lengths and
weights of 20 individuals in each cage were measured.
Then, the bulk weight of tilapia was measured separately
for each cage and recorded. The following parameters
were used to evaluate the growth of fish:
i. Weight gain (g)= Average final weight (g) - average
initial weight (g)
ii. Survival rate (%) =
No.of fish harvested
Initial no.of fishes
× 100

Deb et al. 064
iii. The yield of fish:
a. Gross Yield = No. of fish caught × Average final weight
b. Net Yield = No. of fish caught × Average weight gained
iv. Specific growth rate (SGR) is the instantaneous
change in weight of fish calculated as the percent of
increased body weight per day over the experimental
period. SGR was calculated using the following
formula
Specific growth rate (SGR % per day) =
Loge W2 − Loge W1
T2 – T1
× 100
Where,
W1= the initial live body weight (g) at time T1 (day)
W2= the final live body weight (g) at time T2 (day)
T1 = Time at the commencement of the experiment
T2 = Time at the end of the experiment
v. The feed conversion ratio is expressed by the amount
of food consumed to the weight gain that was
determined for each of the two treatments. It was
calculated as the
Feed conversion ratio (FCR) =
Food fed (dry weight)
Live weight gain
× 100
Cost- benefit analysis
The benefit-cost analysis of the different treatments was
calculated based on the prices of fertiliser, fish seed
(including transport), feed, and the revenue from the sale
of tilapia. At the end of the study, all fish were sold in a
local market. The analysis was based on market prices in
Bangladesh for fish and all other items expressed in
Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) (1 BDT = 0.012 USD). The net
benefit and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) were calculated using
the following formula:
𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑡 = 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑢𝑒 – 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡
Benefit − cost ratio (BCR) =
Total revenue
Total cost
Statistical analysis
All the data collected during the experiment were recorded
in a notebook and regularly computed. At the end of the
experiment, all data were analysed statistically using the
Independent Sample T-test to understand the significant
level and the One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to
know the mean value of the two treatments. SPSS
statistical software (16.0 version) was used for all the
analyses. Probabilities of P < 0.05 were considered to test
the significance level.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Water quality parameters
The water quality parameters such as water temperature,
transparency, DO, pH, CO2, NH3, TDS, hardness, and
nitrite are important to determine as they are the most
influential factors that affect the growth rate of fishes
(Gómez-Márquez et al. 2015). The water quality
parameters found throughout the study period are
presented in Table 1.
Table 1: Water quality parameters of the study area in each sampling day
Parameters Sampling 1
(21 May
2014)
Sampling 2
(04 June
2014)
Sampling 3
(18 June
2014)
Sampling 4
(02 July
2014)
Sampling 5
(16 July
2014)
Sampling 6
(30 July
2014)
Sampling 7
(13 August
2014)
Water (°C)
temperature
28.5 29 27 30.5 30.5 26.5 30
TDS (mgL-1) 90 70 100 90 95 60 90
Transparency (cm) 30 33 31.1 40 40 12.2 39
DO (mgL-1) 5.6 5.8 5.8 4 4 5.4 6
pH 7.2 7 7.5 7 7.1 7 7.2
Hardness
(mgL-1)
54 57 56 29 29 57 26
CO2 (ppm) 7 6.5 6 6.2 6 6.5 6
NH3 (mgL-1) 0.0198 0.0124 0.011 0.014 0.0074 0.0032 0.00756
Nitrite (mgL-1) 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.2
Water temperature is a very essential element for
metabolic activity and physiological processes of aquatic
organisms and has an indirect effect on survival and
growth (Dagne et al. 2013). Water temperature was found
more or less similar in both treatments throughout the
study period. The maximum temperature of 30.5 °C was
recorded in the pond on the 4th and the 5th sampling day
might be due to the high intensity of sunlight and the
absence of cloud in the sky. The lowest water temperature
(26.5 °C) was recorded in the pond on the 6th sampling day
might be due to the low intensity of sunlight and some
rains. Similar water temperature was also reported by
Sarker (2000); Hasan et al. (2010); Maghna et al. (2012)
in their study in the ponds of Bangladesh Agricultural
University campus, Mymensingh. Aminul (1996) stated
that the water temperature ranged from 25 °C to 35 ºC is
suitable for fish culture. In the present study, the water
temperature was found within a suitable range for fish
culture.
The water transparency varied at various sampling times
during this study (Table 1). A possible explanation might
be due to variations in the abundance of plankton in the
pond. Transparency values of approximately 15 - 40 cm

are suitable for fish culture (Boyd, 1982). The observed
transparency of water in the present study indicates that
the experimental pond was suitable for fish culture.
In terms of productivity, Banerjea (1967) considered that
the level of dissolved oxygen in water ranged from 5.00 to
7.00 mg.L-1 indicated that it was fair or good and water
having dissolved oxygen below 5 mg.L-1 to be
unproductive. A slightly lower dissolved oxygen level was
observed in our study during sampling 4 and 5 due to the
lower level of phytoplankton growth in the pond. However,
the DO level was found to be acceptable for fish culture in
other sampling times.
In this study, the pH values of pond water were ranged
from 7 to 7.5 under different treatments. According to
Swingle (1967), a pH value of 6.5 - 9.0 is suitable for pond
fish culture. Other water quality parameters measured in
this study were found in an acceptable range as supported
by Begum (1998) and Mandal et al. (2002).
Experimental diet
In this study, starter feed and grow-out feed were used for
feeding purposes. To know the acceptability of the
experimental feeds, close observation of feeding
responses of tilapia fry was observed. Generally, within 2-
3 days of feeding, fries become habituated to the new
experimental diet. The major composition status of starter
feed and grow-out feed is given in Table 2.
Table 2: The major composition status of starter and grow-
out feed used in the study
Name of the major
composition
Amount of composition
Starter feed Grow-out feed
Improved protein %
(lowest)
28 -
Moisture % (highest) 11 12
Crude Lipid % (lowest) 4 8
Crude fibre % (highest) 8 5
Crude Protein % - 30 ± 1
Lysine % - 1.7
Methionine% - 0.55
Calcium % - 2
Phosphorus % - 1
Monthly growth increment
After initial sampling and stocking of tilapia fry into the
treatments, length and weight were monitored in every
fifteen days alternate and compared to see the difference
in monthly growth rates. Figure 2 and Figure 3
demonstrate the fortnightly changes in length and weight
of mono-sex and mixed-sex tilapia in two different
treatments. Male mono-sex had recorded higher average
weight after initial 72 days of stocking whilst the length was
similar in both mono-sex and mixed-sex tilapia throughout
the study period (Figure 3 and Figure 2). The growth
increments were recorded as 189.67 ± 19.14b g in
treatment-II and 167.15 ± 13.29a g in treatment-I
respectively. The result suggests that male mono-sex
tilapia had higher growth potential than mixed-sex tilapia.
This finding is supported by Githukia et al. (2015) where
their study found a substantial increase in length and
weight of mono-sex tilapia than the mixed-sex tilapia in the
pond culture system. Similarly, Sule (2004) reported that
all-male tilapia has a higher growth rate than all-female
tilapia cultured in the earthen pond located in Nigeria. The
research conducted by Little et al. (2003) also found a
similar result where the mono-sex tilapia has substantially
higher growth potential than mixed-sex tilapia. A possible
explanation for the difference in only growth rate over body
length is the sex reversal hormones contain growth
promotor and the resultant mono-sex tilapia gains weight
rapidly compared to the non-hormone treated mixed
population. Furthermore, mixed-sex tilapia lost their
energy while courtship, egg production, mouthbrooding
and rearing of newly hatched fries (Towers, 2005).
Figure 2: Fortnightly changes in the length of tilapia in
different treatments
Figure 3: Fortnightly average weight gain of tilapia in
Survival of tilapia
In this study, the survival rates were found to be
satisfactory in all the replications and treatments (Table 3).
The average survival rate of tilapia in treatment-I and
treatment-II were recorded as 95.40 % and 95.87 %
respectively. This result indicates that there was no
significant difference (P >0.05) between the two
treatments. The survival (%) rate of tilapia in the current

Deb et al. 066
study is similar to the reported results of Dan and Little
(2000a) where they have found the survival rate of mono-
sex and mixed-sex tilapia ranges between 94.4 % and
96.7% in three different strains and found there was no
significant difference between them. Little et al. (2003)
found in all the treatment groups, the survival rate between
mono-sex and mixed-sex were not significantly different
and ranged from 69% to 86%. Similar results were also
reported by Githukia et al. (2015) and Chakraborty and
Benerjee (2012) where their study found hormone
treatment did not negatively affect the survival rate of
tilapia.
Table 3: Survival rate (%) of tilapia in different replications
and treatments
Replication Survival (%)
Treatment-I Treatment-II
R1 97.14 94.29
R2 95.24 96.19
R3 92.38 98.10
R4 97.14 92.38
R5 93.33 98.10
R6 97.14 96.19
Average 95.40 95.87
Production and growth performances of tilapia in
Production and growth performances of tilapia in terms of
mean final individual body weight, mean individual weight
gain (g), percent (%) weight gain, specific growth rate
(SGR % per day) were analysed using a standard formula
and have been presented in Table 4. The result indicates
that there is a significant difference in individual harvesting
weight, gross yield, and net yield between the two
treatments. Dagne et al. (2013) reported that the gross and
net fish production for all males was 4 087 kg·ha-1·Y-1 and
2 384 kg·ha-1·Y-1 while for mixed-sex groups was 2 437
kg·ha-1·Y-1 and 1 421 kg·ha-1·Y-1 respectively. Similar
studies were also reported by Chakraborty et al. (2011)
and Sule (2004). This may be due to the mouth brooding
behaviour of the female or the voluntary feeding habit of
the male tilapia. Male tilapia has higher growth rates than
females as they can retain their energy while they
reproduce. On the other hand, female tilapia has to fast
during their entire brooding cycle, resulting in erratic
feeding, which eventually affects the physical condition
(Pandian and Sheela, 1995; Green et al. 1997).
Table 4: Comparisons of means (± SD) of yield parameters of tilapia in different treatments
Parameters Treatment-I Treatment-II
Individual stocking weight (g) 1.74 1.75
Individual harvesting weight (g) 167.15 ± 13.29a 189.67 ± 19.14b
Survival (%) 95.39 ± 2.12 95.87 ± 2.22
FCR 1.25 ± 0.09 1.19 ± 0.12
SGR (% bw.day-1) 4.61 ± 0.08 4.72 ± 0.10
Gross yield (kg.m-2) 11.15 ± 0.83a 12.72 ± 1.27b
Net yield (kg.m-2) 11.03 ± 0.83a 12.60 ± 1.27b
*Different superscript letter in the same row indicated significant differences (P < 0.05) based on one-way ANOVA
followed by Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT).
Individual stocking and harvesting weight and
biomass
The initial individual stocking weight of treatment-I and
treatment-II was recorded as 1.74 g and 1.75 g
respectively. The main difference in weight and biomass
between mono-sex and mixed-sex tilapia was observed
from the 86th day of stocking. The individual weight of fish
in 72nd days of stocking was recorded as 103.82 ± 5.13a g
in treatment-I (mixed- sex) and 110.76 ± 4.70a g in
treatment-II (mono-sex) and the biomass was recorded as
6.936 ± 0.42a kg.m-3 in treatment-I and 7.431 ± 0.28a kg.m-
3 in treatment-II. Likewise, in 99th days of the culture period,
the harvesting weight was recorded as 167.15 ± 13.29a g
in treatment-I and 189.67 ± 19.14b g in treatment-II and
biomass was as 11.15 ± 0.83a kg.m-3 in treatment-I and
12.72 ± 1.27b kg.m-3 in treatment-II (Figure 4 and Figure
5). The weight and biomass calculated at different time
intervals during the culture period showed that the weight
and biomass are significantly lower in treatment-I than
treatment-II. A similar output was also reported by
Alemayehu (2017) while determining the effect of feed and
water quality on the growth performance of Nile tilapia in
the cage culture system in Ethiopia. These results are also
in line with Sah et al. (2019).
Figure 4: Comparison of individual weight between two
treatments.

Figure 5: Comparison of biomass between two treatments
Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR)
Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a key indicator of fish feed
efficiency and a lower FCR suggests greater use of fish
feed (Mugo‐Bundi et al., 2015). The FCR in treatment-I
and treatment-II was found as 1.25 ± 0.09a and 1.18 ±
0.12a, respectively. This result indicates that there was no
significant (P > 0.05) difference between the FCR values
of mixed-sex and mono-sex tilapia. Hossain et al. 2005
found the FCR values of 1.64 ± 0.2 and 1.58 ± 0.04 for
mixed-sex and mono-sex tilapia which are in line with our
study. Githukia et al. (2015) also evaluated FCR of male
mono-sex and mixed-sex Nile tilapia reared in an earthen
pond and found 1.51 ± 0.01 for mono-sex and 1.98 ± 0.03
for mixed-sex tilapia, respectively. Sule (2004) found that
there was no significant difference between the FCR of all-
male, all-female and mixed-sex tilapia. A similar result was
also reported by Dagne et al. (2013).
SGR (% bw.day-1
)
Specific growth rate (SGR) in treatment I and II were 4.607
± 0.08a and 4.725 ± 0.10a respectively. There was no
significant difference between the two treatments. The
SGR values observed in this study are considerably higher
than those (0.69 - 1.81) reported by Dan and Little (2000b)
for overwintering mono-sex tilapia fry. The lower SGR
reported by Dan and Little (2000b) could be because of
higher stocking density (four fingerlings m-2), lower
temperature (11.0 °C to 23.0 °C) compared to the present
study. The other explanation behind the different SGR
values for this species in the current study might be due to
the varying natural productivity of the cultured pond. The
study is supported by Sule (2004), Chakraborty et al.
(2011) and Dagne et al. (2013).
Benefit-cost analysis of different treatment
The cost and income calculated in different treatments per
meter cube volume basis have been presented in Table 5.
The total returns indicate that all mono-sex tilapia
performed well than the mixed-sex population. There is no
significant difference (P > 0.05) in net benefit values for
both treatments (Table 5). Ahmed et al. (2013) found the
highest net benefit of BDT 15,83,213/ha/70 days of culture
period using feed prepared by Peninsula group than the
commercial tilapia feed.
Table 5: Comparisons of economics between different
treatments based on 1 m3 cage area
Items Treatment-I
(BDT)
Treatment-II
(BDT)
Financial inputs
Cage cost (making,
setting)
157 157
Tilapia fry (BDT
2.00 per fry)
140 140
Feed 687 742
Total costs 984 1039
Financial returns
Total returns
(Average sale
value BDT 2.00 per
fry)
1450.4 ± 108.50a 1654.2 ± 165.39b
Net benefit 466.36 ± 108.51 615.16 ± 165.39
Benefit cost ratio
(BCR)
1.47 : 1 1.59 : 1
*Different superscript letter in the same row indicated
significant differences (P < 0.05) based on one-way
ANOVA followed by DMRT
**Currencies are given in Bangladeshi Taka, BDT (1 BDT
= 0.012 USD) at the time of calculation in 2014
Total cost
Cage making cost (BDT 157 per cage), tilapia fry cost
(BDT 2.00 per fry), and feed cost were taken into
consideration to calculate total cost which measured BDT
984 and BDT 1039 for treatment I and II. The main
variation in expenditure came from the amount of feed
used in different treatments. The study conducted by Liti et
al. (2005) found tilapia fed on white bran showed the best
economic return than commercial pig pelleted feeds.
Net benefit
Net benefit in treatment I and II was found 466.36 ±
108.51a and 615.16 ± 165.39a respectively. There was no
significant difference between the two treatments. The
result indicates that the net benefit of two different
treatments is almost the same.
Gross benefit
The gross returns indicate that all mono-sex tilapia
performed well than the mixed-sex population (Table 6).
There is no significant difference (P < 0.05) in gross return
up to 72nd days of the culture period. This result suggested
that there is a possibility to successfully culture mixed-sex
tilapia in Bangladesh for a period of 72 days where the
gross return is almost similar.

Deb et al. 068
Table 6: Comparison of (mean ± SD) gross return between two treatments at the different date of the growth period
Parameters Treatment-I Treatment-II
Gross Return at 58 days (BDT) 581.86 ± 25.159a 660.62 ± 97.473a
Gross Return at 72 days (BDT) 901.61 ± 55.604a 966.01 ± 37.093a
Gross Return at 86 days (BDT) 1257.9 ± 63.448a 1360.7 ± 56.442b
Gross Return at 99 days (BDT) 1450.4 ± 108.508a 1654.2 ± 165.391b
*Different superscript letter in the same row indicated significant differences (P < 0.05) based on one-way ANOVA
followed by DMRT
**Currencies are given in Bangladeshi Taka, BDT (1 BDT = 0.012 USD) at the time of calculation in 2014
Benefit-cost ratio (BCR)
The benefit-cost ratio (BCR) in treatment I and II were
finally estimated as 1.47 : 1 and 1.59 : 1 respectively. The
BCR value shows that treatment-II is most economically
viable than the treatment-I. Siddik et al. (2014) found a
similar benefit-cost ratio for over-wintering mixed-sex and
mono-sex tilapia cultured in six experimental ponds in
Bangladesh Agricultural University campus. A research
conducted by Rahman et al. (2012) found that the net
profits from the three earthen ponds (total 1,20 hectares)
was BDT 547177.77, while the operating expenses were
BDT 700544.23, and the profit rate was 78.11 % relative
to the operating expenses.
CONCLUSION
The study found both types of tilapia gained more than 100
g weight within 72 days which is a marketable size in rural
areas of Bangladesh. There were no significant
differences between them until 72 days of the culture
period. The economic viability study between the cultures
of two groups of fishes suggests that like mono-sex tilapia,
mixed-sex tilapia is equally profitable to the fish farmers up
to 72 days of culture period and useful for home
consumption.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The study greatly acknowledges the contribution of the
research grant from the Sylhet Agricultural University
Research System (SAURES), Bangladesh for which the
study would not have been possible. We thank some of
our master's students, namely, Md. Abu Sufian, Shah Ajij,
Noyon, and Debasish Pandit for their cordial help during
cage preparation and maintenance. We would also like to
thank the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments.
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Citation: Deb AR, Kunda M, Marine SS, Islam MJ (2020).
Study on Production Performance and Economic Benefits
between Mixed-sex and Mono-sex Tilapia (Oreochromis
niloticus). Journal of Fisheries and Aquaculture Research,
5(1): 061-070.
Copyright: © 2020 Deb et al. This is an open-access
article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original author and source are cited.

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