Female Tilapia Strategising Energy Mobilisation Differently For Growth Or Reproduction Depend On Living Environments

Abstract This study was conducted to investigate the energy mobilization and ionoregulation pattern of tilapia living recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) and cage culture environments. Three different groups of tilapia were compared as tilapia cultured in RAS (Group I - RAS), tilapia cultured in open water cage (Group II - Cage) and tilapia transferred from cage to RAS (Group III - Compensation) as physiology compromising model. Results revealed that Group II tilapia mobilized glycogen as primarily energy for daily exercise activity and promoted growth, whilst tilapia from Group I and III mobilised lipid to support gonadogenesis and protein reserved for somatogensis. The gills and kidney NKA activities remained relative stable to maintain balance homeostasis with a electrolytes level. As a remark, this study revealed that tilapia re-strategized their energy mobilization pattern in accessing glycogen as easy energy to support exercise metabolism and mobilized lipid and protein for growth and gonadal development.