Tilapia are tropical cichlids commonly farmed in several countries. The most common species cultured are Nile tilapia, Mozambique tilapia, and blue tilapia. Tilapia produce a lean, mild meat but off flavors present a marketing challenge. China is the world's largest producer of tilapia, accounting for 46% of global production in 2001. Other major producers include Mexico, Thailand, the Philippines, and Taiwan. The United States imports the majority of its tilapia supply, with China, Ecuador, Indonesia, and Taiwan being the largest suppliers. Low temperatures limit tilapia production in the US to indoor recirculating systems and other warmwater methods.

1. Tilapia
SRAC publications 280-283
Tilapia are tropical cichlids – family Cichlidae
Several species cultured
Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus
Mozambique tilapia Oreochromis massambicus
Blue tilapia Oreochromis aureus
Red tilapia hybrid O. mossambicus X O. aureus
All produce a lean mild meat
-- off flavor is a major marketing problem

2. Oreochromis niloticus
Aquanic web site

3. Tilapia
Recife 1998

4. Aquanic web site

5. US Tilapia consumption - 2002 (Jan-
Nov)
(117,842 mt of live weight)
(259,723,000 lbs of live weight)
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
Metric
tons
1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002
From: Kevin Fitzsimmons, ATA website

6. Estimated cost of production
• China - $0.70/kg
• Philippines, Indonesia - $0.80/kg
• Brazil, Ecuador, Thailand - $0.85/kg
• Honduras, Costa Rica - $0.90/kg
• Mexico - $1.00/kg
• Taiwan Province - $1.05/kg
• US - $2.00/kg
• Canada - $2.10/kg
From: Kevin Fitzsimmons, ATA website

7. World Tilapia Production in 2001
China
46%
Taiwan Prov.
7%
Philippines
7%
Thailand
7%
Mexico
7%
Others
4%
Indonesia
4%
Costa Rica
1%
Colombia
2%
United States
1%
Brasil
5%
Egypt
4%
Cuba
3%
Ecuador
2%
From: Kevin Fitzsimmons, ATA website

8. Major Tilapia Producers
(for year 2000)
• China - 629,182 metric tons / year
• Mexico - 102,000 mt / year
• Thailand - 100,000 mt / year
• Philippines - 92,284 mt / year
• Taiwan Province - 85,000 mt / year
• Brazil - 65,000 mt / year
• Indonesia - 50,000 mt / year
From: Kevin Fitzsimmons, ATA website

9. US Tilapia supply (Jan-Nov 2002)
259,723,000 lbs (live weight)
CHINA
29%
ECUADOR
16%
INDONESIA
6%
TAIWAN Prov.
25%
HONDURAS
7%
COSTA RICA
7%
Brazil
0%
US
8%
OTHER
2%
From: Kevin Fitzsimmons, ATA website

10. Production constraints – continued
Unwanted reproduction
-- most tilapia will mature & reproduce while in culture
ponds
-- wastes feed and makes it difficult to raise fish to market
size
-- dealing with problem increases costs
-- hand sexing each fish for monosex culture
-- sex reversal using hormones
-- using hybrids
-- O. aurea cannot reproduce in seawater

11. Production constraints in US
Big problem: Low-temperature sensitivity
-- most tilapia grow best at 28 – 30 C
-- death occurs as temperature drops below 10 C
-- US farms cannot keep tilapia in ponds all year
-- must over-winter fish in warm water
-- indoor recircuating systems
-- warm outdoor water
-- geothermal
-- power plant heat

12. Sex reversal
-- when fry are hatched,
-- they are genotypically male or female
-- they are phenotypically undifferentiated
-- by putting sex hormones in first feeds, sex can be
affected
Example:
Feeding 30 - 60 mg/kg ethynyltestosterone or
methyltestosterone on days 21-28 post hatch will yield
95% males
In US a special permit from USDA may be required

13. Feeds and feeding
-- tilapia are omnivorous fishes that can filter feed
phytoplankton
-- in many parts of the world, fish are not fed, but ponds
are fertilized
-- pigs and chickens often raised over or next to ponds
-- fish grown and marketed in US are fed high-protein
prepared feeds
-- feeds use a lot of fish meal as a protein source
-- a lot of research directed toward fish meal substitutes

14. Water quality
-- mortality begins ~ 10 C
-- tilapia reported to survive DO concentrations below 1 mg/L
-- about twice as resistant to ammonia as channel catfish
-- over twice as resistant to nitrite as channel catfish
-- chloride increases tolerance to nitrite

15. USA  9,000 mt
• Production in many states
• Mostly intensive systems, many
recirculating
• Sales to ethnic markets as live fish,
high value
From: Kevin Fitzsimmons, ATA website

16. USA - Intensive
tanks
Tanks in Arizona
Tanks in California
From: Kevin Fitzsimmons, ATA website

17. Intensive farms
in New York and
Iowa
From: Kevin
Fitzsimmons, ATA
website

18. Intensive farms
in Illinois &
Louisiana
From: Kevin Fitzsimmons, ATA
website