UVI Research and Technology Park

Breeding and Fry Production

Tilapia are reproduced by establishing families of adults in a hapa and allowing them to spawn naturally for a 5-day period.  Tilapia are mouth brooders so, after the spawning period, the fish are removed from the hapa and eggs are removed from the females mouth’s.

The eggs are placed in a hatching jar and begin to develop, first hatching and living as sac-fry.

Sac-fry grow and absorb their yolk over a 5-10 day period.

Once the yolk is absorbed the fry swim from the hatching jar and into a holding tank.

Hatched fry are counted (estimated) and being a diet of manufactured feed within 1 day.

The fry average 1-gram after 28 days of feeding.

tilapia fingerlings