Asian Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances1683-99191996-3289Academic Journals Inc.10.3923/ajava.2011.1001.1009Tilapia rendalli]]>HlopheS.N. MoyoN.A.G. 102011610The culture of macrophagous fish that naturally feed on plant diets may be the solution to reduce the current dependence on fishmeal. Fishmeal is not only expensive but its supply is not always guaranteed. This study focuses on the growth performance, gastric evacuation rate, gastric transit time and carcass composition of Tilapia rendalli fed fresh plants, to determine the extent to which T. rendalli can utilise fresh plants. Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum), cabbage (Brassica oleracea), duckweed (Lemna minor), vallisneria (Vallisneria aethiopica) and fishmeal pellets (control) were offered ad libitum to duplicate groups of T. rendalli for 224 days. Specific Grow Rate (SGR), Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) and Food Conversion Ratio (FCR) were used to determine the growth performance. Fish fed kikuyu grass attained a significantly (p<0.05) higher SGR and a better FCR than those fed the other plant diets. Fish fed vallisneria lost weight. The serial slaughter method showed that vallisneria was evacuated significantly (p<0.05, ANCOVA) faster and was eaten in significantly (p<0.05) higher quantities than the other diets. Kikuyu grass was evacuated much more slowly and eaten in lesser amounts. The low energy content (14.74 MJ kg-1) of vallisneria may explain its faster evacuation and high consumption levels. Fish fed kikuyu grass had higher protein levels, higher omega-3 fatty acids (25.13%) and higher mineral content than those fed the other experimental diets. Fishmeal fed fish had the lowest content of the omega-3 fatty acids (2.52%). T. rendalli performed better when fed plant diets with higher protein and energy contents.]]>Abdel-Tawwab, M.,2003Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) cultured in fertilized earthen ponds.]]>23153166Adewolu, M.A. and A.J. Adoti,2010Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) fingerlings.]]>5304310Ali, A., S.M. Al-Ogaily, N.A. Al-Asgah, J.S. Goddard and S.I. Ahmed,2008Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings.]]>243137AOAC.,20032nd Revision, 17th Edn.,Azaza, M.S., F. Mensi, J. Ksouri, M.N. Dhraief, B. Brini, A. Abdelmouleh and M.M. Kraiem,2008Oreochromis niloticus L.) fed with diets containing graded levels of green algae ulva meal (Ulva rigida) reared in geothermal waters of southern Tunisia.]]>24202207Chikafumbwa, F.J.K.,1996Pennisetum purpureum) and maize (Zea mays) bran as low-cost tilapia aquaculture inputs.]]>146101107Chowdhury, M.M.R., M. Shahjahan, M.S. Rahman and M.S. Islam,2008Lemna minor) as supplementary feed in monoculture of nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus.]]>35459De Silva, S.S. and T.A. Anderson,1995Pages: 319Pages: 319Dioundick, O.B. and D.I. Stom, 1990Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters). ]]>91311315El-Sayed, A.F.M.,2006Pages: 277Pages: 277Enami, H.R.,201162236Kangombe, J. and J.A. Brown,2008Tilapia rendalli (Boulenger). ]]>20243255Lanna, E.A.T., L.E. Pezzato, P.R. Cecon, W.M. Furuya and M.A.D. Bomfim,2004Oreochromis niloticus) in function of the dietary crude fiber.]]>3321862192Nguyen, T.N., D.A. Davis and I.P. Saoud,2009Oreochromis spp.]]>40113121Okeyo, D.O. and W.L. Montgomery, 199224-25110Perschbacher, P.W., M.A. Lihono and J. Koo,2010Orechromis niloticus growth and lipid composition fed a spirulina commercial pellet combination or commercial pellet only.GMT nile tilapia Orechromis niloticus growth and lipid composition fed a spirulina commercial pellet combination or commercial pellet only.]]>239199Riche, M., D.I. Haley, M. Oetker, S. Garbrecht and D.L. Garling,2004Oreochromis niloticus (L.).]]>234657673Saeed, M.O. and C.D. Ziebell, 1986Tilapia zillii).]]>48110112Saha, S., R.N. Roy, S.K. Sen and A.K. Ray,2006Oreochromis mossambica (Peters) and grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella (Valenciennes).]]>37380388Setlikova, I. and Z. Adamek,2004Oreochromis niloticus L.) fed on temperate-zone aquatic macrophytes.]]>49271278Targett, T.E. and N.M. Targett,1990Sparismosa radians : Roles of assimilation efficiency, gut evacuation rate, and secondary metabolites.]]>661321Winberg, G.G.,19651941202Windell, J.T.,19681968pp: 215-226pp: 215-226Musuka, C.G., J.S. Likongwe, J. Kang'ombe, W.W.L. Jere and A.H. Mtethiwa,2009T. rendalli juveniles reared in indoor tanks.]]>815261531Uka, U.N. and K.S. Chukwuka,20116490498