Engorda final de tilápias (Oreochromis niloticus) no meio-oeste catarinense no período de verão com alevinos nascidos no outono-inverno oriundos do litoral de Santa Catarina (BRASIL) (Finishing of tilapia niloticus (Oreochromis niloticus) in the midwest of Santa Catarina State in Summer using Autumn and Winter-born coastal fingerlings)

The objective of this research was to verify the zootechnical viability of culturing tilapia niloticus in midwestern Santa Catarina in Summer, based on the criteria of growth in length and weight, survival rate, apparent feed conversion and total biomass. The experiment was conducted in three dug ponds of 180 m2 area each. On September 17th, 2001 all the ponds were stocked with fingerlings of 7.0 cm mean length and 7.3 mg mean weight, at a density of 3 fish/m2 in ponds 1 and 2 and 1.3 fish/m2 in pond 3. After 180 days, the experiment ended on March 19th, 2002. Feed, with 28% crude protein and 2800 kcal/kg, was offered twice daily in the total quantity of 5% of liveweight of the lot, being readjusted every 30 days. Monthly sampling was done using 35% of each lot. At the end of the culture period mean weights per individual were 250.6, 272.3, and 296.3 g; total biomass figures were 2380.2, 3040.5 and 1402.0 kg; survival rates were 33.33, 37.22, and 36.40%; and apparent feed conversions were 1.77, 2.07, and 1.38 for treatments (ponds) I, II, and III, respectively. These results demonstrate the biological feasibility of intensive culture of tilapia niloticus during the Summer season in the region in question