Tilapia

Tilapia, several species and their hybrids of Oreochromis, are a very large and important group of farm raised fish in the world. Tilapia farming and consumption are rapidly increasing in the United States.

They are currently grown around the world, but particularly in the tropics where wage labor rates are low. Tilapia fillets are being imported from culture facilities located in Central and South America and Southeast Asia.

Mississippi tilapia farmers must seek out local or niche markets for live whole fish since it has not been possible to compete in the fillet market.

Much of the tilapia produced in the United States is transported live to ethnic markets in major metropolitan areas of the east and west coast, the upper midwest, and Canada. Markets for live tilapia have not been fully developed in the Southeast (e.g. New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Tilapia be raised in Mississippi?

Tilapia can be raised successfully in the state of Mississippi. We have a growing number of Tilapia operations in the state, concentrated primarily in the lower 1/3 of the state. Most operations are small scale and produce either fingerlings or food sized fish. The primary market for food fish is to live haulers transporting Tilapia to markets on the east and west coasts or to the upper midwestern U.S.

Do I need a permit to raise Tilapia in Mississippi?

Tilapia are considered an exotic species in Mississippi, and thus a permit is required to culture these fish. Contact Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce at 601-354-6702 for information and details on obtaining an aquaculture permit.

Can Tilapia be cultured in Mississippi ponds?

Tilapia can be grown in ponds, but it will take two years. In the first year, newly spawned tilapia can be stocked in the spring to early summer and grown into the fall up to about 1/4 lb. In the second year, tilapia are grown out to market size. Tilapia can be grown in outdoor ponds in the summer, but must be moved to warmer water during the winter.

Will tilapia survive a winter in ponds in Mississippi?

Tilapia are a warm water fish and begin to die when the water temperature drops below 50º F. In most parts of Mississippi, tilapia will not survive in ponds unless they are supplied with heated water. Tilapia may survive through some winters in ponds and tanks located along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.

How much tilapia do I have to grow to make a living?

If you want to be a "player" in the tilapia industry in the United States, potential producers should attempt to build a facility that should produce about 1/2 million pounds per year. However, if the tilapia enterprise is to provide only supplemental income then 100,000 to 250,000 pounds can be cultured.

What are the best ways to increase production in tilapia facilities?

The best way to increase production is to maximize growth. Growth can be maximized by maintaining optimum water temperature between 82º and 86º F. Heating water to less than the optimum may not be economical. Another way to increase production is by utilizing superior strains of fish selected for rapid growth.

What rate should I stock my recirculating system?

Novice producers of tilapia in intensive flow-through tank or recirculating production systems should be able to approach a final stock density of about 1/4 lb per gallon of tank capacity. More experienced producers can utilize higher stock densities (1/2 to 1 lb/gal), but supplenation with pure oxygen will be required. Using the 1/4 lb/galthreshold production capacity, you can calculate how many fish of a given size that can be stocked in the tank. In other words, you can stock more smaller fish, or fewer larger fish. Maximizing tank production capacity by growing fish to a certain size, but up to the carrying capacity, and then splitting out the stock, is an effective way to improve the economics of tilapia production.

Where do I market tilapia?

Tilapia are currently grown around the world, but particularly in the tropics where wage labor rates are low. Tilapia fillets are being imported from culture facilities located in Central and South America and Southeast Asia. It is not possible to compete in the fillet market. Mississippi tilapia farmers must seek out local or niche markets for live whole fish. Much of the tilapia produced in the United States is transported live to ethnic markets in major metropolitan areas of the east and west coast, the upper midwest, and Canada. Markets for live tilapia have not been fully developed in the Southeast (e.g. New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville)

How serious is the risk of tilapia escaping to the environment?

The risk of tilapia escaping to the environment is difficult to evalute. Tilapia are a warmwater fish that will not likely survive winter water temperatures in most locations in Mississippi. However, in locations where warm water is discharged to streams and rivers, tilapia may be able to find a temporary thermal refuge. In Alabama, where tilapia have been cultured since the 1960s, no evidence of displacement of native species has been recorded.

Should I grow all-male tilapia?

Males tend to grow faster than females. When females become sexually mature after 4-6 months, they devote more energy and resources into egg production than into growth. In ponds stocked with mixed sex tilapia, uncontrolled reproduction may result in the stunting of the orginally-stocked fish. In intensive tank or cage culture systems, high density disrupts normal courtship and spawning behavior and therefore uncontrolled reproduction is curtailed.

How can I tell the difference between male and female tilapia?

It is difficult to differentiate male and female tilapia when they are young (less than 3-4"). When the fish are larger, they can be separated by inspecting the genital papilla on the ventral or underside of the fish. The papilla of the male tends to be elongated with one opening. The papilla of the female tends to be wider, and has two openings, one of which is a transverse slit.

Can I use aquatic plants to feed tilapia?

Tilapia are plant eaters. They have specialized adaptions to filter algae from the water and especially algae attached to surfaces. Some tilapia species will consume aquatic plants such as duckweed. However, the nutritional benefit from duckweed is marginal. Most aquatic plants contain 95 percent water and only a relatively small fraction of the dry matter is protein. Thus, plants such as duckweed or water meal can be seen as "roughage" with limited potential as a food source of tilapia.

Who can I contact for more information about tilapia in Mississippi?

• Your Mississipp County Extension agent
• Mississippi State University Extension Service, Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, 662-247-2915
• American Tilapia Association