Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria
2
Department of fisheries and Aquaculture, Federal University Oye Ekiti
3
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Federal University, Oye Ekiti
4
Federal University Oye Ekiti
5
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, ederal University Oye Ekiti
Abstract
Environmental structural enrichment is a method to increase environmental heterogeneity, which may reduce stress and improve animal welfare. Previous studies have shown that environmental enrichment can increase the growth rate, decrease aggressive and anxiety-like behaviours and reduce cortisol levels in animals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of environmental enrichment on the behaviour (boldness and aggressiveness) and growth (total length, standard length, weight) of Oreochromis niloticus, Nile Tilapia. Boldness, aggressiveness, total length, standard length and weight were measured for 13 weeks on weeks 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 in fish assigned to three treatments tanks with no structural enrichment (NSE), moderate structural enrichment (MSE) and heavy structural enrichment (HSE). There were significant differences in boldness, aggressiveness, total length, standard length and weight among the three treatments as the weeks progressed (p < 0.05). Boldness was highest in fish reared in tanks with heavy structural enrichment as the weeks progressed (p < 0.05). However, aggressiveness was lowest across weeks in fish reared in tanks with heavy structural enrichment (p < 0.05). The highest levels of growth, in terms of weight (p < 0.05), total length (p < 0.05) and standard length (p < 0.05), were recorded in the fish reared in tanks with heavy structural enrichments across weeks (p < 0.05). This study suggests that the growth of Oreochromis niloticus might be influenced by the structural enrichment of their rearing environment. Therefore, future related studies should consider environmental structural enrichment to enhance the growth of Oreochromis niloticus.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)
View on SCiNiTO