Effect of ^tocopherol Acetate on Fecundity and Reproductive Physiology of Oreochromis Niloticus and O. Aureus Broodstock

A was conducted to determine the effect of vitamin E, (a-tocopherol acetate a-TOH) supplementation on the fecundity and reproductive performance of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus and O. aureus. R eproductive performance was assessed in the females, in the developing eggs and in the resultant offspring, in an attempt to determine the optimum nutrition for successful spawning of O. niloticus and O. aureus. The reproductive response of O. niloticus and O. aureus to alpha-tocopherol acetate was nearly the same regarding egg number and quality, hatchability, gonadosomatic index and quality of the resulting offspring, Results revealed that alpha-tocopherol acetate greatly improved not only egg and sperm quality but also seed production. None of the three levels of alpha-tocopherol acetate had any obvious effect on the mean relative fecundity of either O. niloticus or O. aureus. Females of both strains that fed on a diet supplemented with 50 mg «tocopherol acetate/kg produced larger eggs than females of the control that fed on diet without supplemental alpha314 Gamal A. Mohamed. et aL tocopherol, or on diets supplemented with lower levels of a -TOH, The highest mean hatching percentage and lowest mean percentage of deformed larvae were observed in eggs extruded from females fed 50 mg a-TOH/kg-supplemented diet in both strains. While lower mean values of hatching percentage and higher mean values of deformed larvae percentage were detectable in eggs of those females that were fed supplemental 25 and 5-mg a-TOH/kg diet. Fry of the third treatment attained the highest mean body weight. The smaller sizes of fry were obtainable from eggs produced by females fed the lower levels of a-TOH. Fry of females that fed tocopherol -free diet was the smallest. Females that fed on diets provided with higher levels of <xTOH not only produced larger eggs but also had higher mean values of GSI than those fed on diets with lower levels. Irrespective of the supplemental a-TOH levels that had no effect on the mean number of eggs/female in the three treatments of both strains, correlating the 0. niloticus and O. aureus female body weight and the corresponding number of eggs, produced, showed a linear correlation. The equation of this relationship in the first spawning is represented as follows:Y= 4.3353 X 166.67 for <9. niloticus and Y = 4.7819X-235.76 for <9. aureus. where Y= number of eggs and X = female body weight. Further investigations are needed to estimate egg production/female in the following spawnings all over the reproductive period under the same conditions. With regard to the reproductive hormones, concentration of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in serum of 0. niloticus females of the third treatment, that exhibited more active reproductive performance, was higher than that in serum of females of the other treatments and the control. EFFECT OF a-TOCOPHEROL ACETATE 315 ON THE REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY OF TILAPIA The results confirm the essentiality of vitamin E supplementation in producing spawn with better egg and