Comparative Effects of Doses of <i>Nauclea</i><i> latifolia</i> and 17 Alpha Methyltestosterone on Masculinization and Growth Rates of Tilapia <i>Orechromis</i><i> niloticus</i> Larvae in Senegal

One of the main obstacles to the development of aquaculture in Senegal is the availability of fry and juveniles in sufficient quantities. The objective of our study is to evaluate the effects of treatment with the hormone 17 alpha methyl testosterone (17-&-MT) and different doses of Nauclea latifolia root powder on the masculinization rates of tilapia Oreochromis niloticus larvae in Senegal. A total of 450 larvae of Oreochromis niloticus, with an average size of 0.012 g, were placed in 15 aquariums, each containing 30 individuals and fed one of the 5 diets in triplicate. These individuals were fed either a diet containing a plant extract at a dose of 180 mg (T180), 200 mg (T200) and 250 mg (T250) per kg of food, or a diet containing 60 mg/kg of the hormone 17-&-MT (TMT), or a diet without either the plant extract or the hormone (T0). Individuals were fed for 30 days with the treatment diets, and then with the industrial feed for the rest of the experiment. At the end of the study, the results of the masculinization rate were: 80.49%, 73.13%, 69.23%, 66.67% and 45.95% for T250; T200, TMT, T180 and T0 respectively. In summary, we can say that the 250 mg/kg dose provides better masculinization, followed by 200mg/kg and then 17 α MT. For the plant, the increase in the percentage of males is dose-dependent. These results also translate into better growth of individuals in this order. However, the relatively lower survival rates observed in batches treated with Nauclea latifolia extract indicate that these treatments could have a deleterious effect on the survival of Oreochromis niloticus larvae. These results suggest the use of N. latifolia extract at a dose of 250 mg/kg feed for better production of male O. niloticus larvae without compromising their growth.