LONG-TERM COMBINED EFFECTS OF SALINITY AND TEMPERATURE ON THE GROWTH OF JUVENILE RED TILAPIA (OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS)

Over the last decades, there was growing evidence that the climatic change has greatly altered environmental conditions in many aquatic systems. Salinity and temperature are among the ecological factors that are specific to aquatic environment. Dominant environmental factors affecting marine finfish larvae are temperature and salinity that have a significant impact on growth rate, development and survival of marine fish. Red tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) juveniles of two hundred and eighty fish were used in this study averaging 14.28±0.16g in weight. Each tank contains 10 fish in triplicate for a period of 120 days using 4x3 factorial design. Four temperature levels 28, 30 and 32 while salinity level of 5, 10, 15 and 20 respectively. There were significant differences in the growth among all treatment. At 28oC, the best value of body gain in weight was recorded with salinity of 5ppt treatment was 8.6=0.05g and 28oC with salinity of 5ppt treatment which was 7.20=0.22g. Salinity seems to have a stronger effect than temperature on the growth of red juvenile tilapia.