Preliminary Evaluation of Freshwater Pufferfish Supplementation on Growth Performance and Hematology Parameters in the Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The pufferfish, a freshwater Tetraodon lineatus, is often neglected in commercial fishing because of its venomous qualities and, yet, is highly nutritional. This particular study aimed to test the pufferfish muscle powder as an alternative dietary protein source in the feed of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), focusing on changes in growth performance and blood-related parameters. For this experiment, 1050 healthy Nile tilapia were taken, divided into five groups, and each group received different diets containing varying amounts of pufferfish powder (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) as a substitute to commercial fishmeal. The experiment was set to run for 90 days and during this period, multiple growth parameters like weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed efficacy (FE), and hematological parameters were tracked. The findings indicated that pufferfish powder inclusion levels above a certain threshold positively impacted growth performance, with the best results in final weight, SGR, FCR, and FE obtained from the 100% replacement diet. Furthermore, all fish health parameters monitored were within normal limits, suggesting the treatments did not have negative effects on fish health. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the muscle powder of freshwater pufferfish is an economically and ecologically attractive alternative protein source for the feed of the Nile tilapia, as it is feasible and sustainable. Additional research, however, is needed to evaluate the safety of the diet for humans.