Eight hundred Nile tilapia larvae with two days old were used to evaluate the inclusion of soybean meal in diets fed Nile tilapia during the sex reversion period (30 days). The experiment was analyzed as a completely randomized blocks, with four treatments and four replications. A net tank with 50 larvae was considered an experimental unit. The treatments were formulated to be isoprotein and isonitrogenous (38.6% of digestible protein and 3,800 kcal/kg of digestible energy), with increasing levels of soybean meal inclusion 0, 16, 34 and 42%. Average final weight and length linearly increased as the dietary soybean meal levels increased. No treatment effect on survival and body condition was observed. It is recommend to include up to 42% of soybean meal in Nile tilapia diets in the sexual reversion phase.
fingerlings; fish; larvae culture; nutrition; Oreochromis niloticus protein feed
