Food utilization in the fish Tilapia mossambica fed on plant and animal foods

Abstract

1. When fed rations ranging from 4 to 29 mg (dry) Spirogyra maxima/g live fish/day, absorption efficiency of Tilapia mossambica increased from 50 to 78%; the young T. mossambica could not consume and utilize sufficient algae to meet its metabolic energy requirement. 2. On supplementing the algal food with goat liver, the fish consumed not only more food (38 mg/g/day) but also enhanced the absorption efficiency to 94%. 3. Given only the liver pieces, the fish consumed 47 mg-g-day; it displayed 95 and 30% of absorption and conversion efficiencies. However, the fish preyed upon and could consume only 41 mg tadpoles/g/day and convert with 26% (K₂) efficiency.