Indonesia is recognized as one of the world's largest producers of freshwater fish. One of the leading commodities widely cultivated is tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Tilapia has high economic value and rich nutritional content, including 16-24% protein, 0.2-2.2% fat, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins that are beneficial for health. Moreover, tilapia is known for its resilience against disturbances and diseases, making it an attractive choice for farmers.
However, despite the widespread familiarity with tilapia among the public, many are still unaware of the various types of tilapia that exist, particularly those cultivated in Indonesia. Understanding these tilapia varieties is crucial, especially for farmers, to enable them to select the right type for cultivation, thereby minimizing material losses and increasing production yields. Here are some superior tilapia varieties widely cultivated in Indonesia, along with their respective advantages:
1. Srikandi Tilapia (Salinity Resistant Improvement Tilapia from BRPI Sukamandi)
Srikandi tilapia is a superior tilapia variety resulting from crossbreeding between female black Nirwana tilapia and male blue tilapia. The name "Srikandi" itself is an acronym for Salinity Resistant Improvement Tilapia from Sukamandi. As the name suggests, this fish can survive in brackish water with higher salinity levels than its original freshwater habitat. Srikandi tilapia has a breeding period of about 3-4 months before being harvested at a weight of approximately 250 grams per fish.
Candidate for Srikandi Tilapia Broodstock: DJPB Jepara
This type of tilapia possesses several advantages that make it highly sought after by farmers. One of its strengths is its tolerance to high salinity, ranging between 20-30 ppt, with a survival rate (SR) above 80 percent. This advantage allows Srikandi tilapia to be cultivated in more challenging brackish water environments. Additionally, Srikandi tilapia has a fast growth rate, reaching optimal size within three months. This is certainly beneficial for farmers seeking quick harvests.
In terms of nutrition, Srikandi tilapia has a higher protein content, at 17.06%, compared to local tilapia. This makes it a good source of protein for consumers. Furthermore, the taste of Srikandi tilapia meat is also more palatable and preferred by consumers, resulting in a higher selling value. Moreover, Srikandi tilapia is also rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, known for their numerous health benefits.
In cultivation systems, Srikandi tilapia also exhibits high flexibility as it can be polycultured with vannamei shrimp, increasing the efficiency and productivity of the cultivation pond. Its low Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), between 0.7-1.1, is also a distinct advantage. This means Srikandi tilapia efficiently converts feed into body mass, particularly because it can consume natural food available in the pond.
2. Larasati Tilapia
Larasati Tilapia: Parakan Fisheries Extension
Larasati tilapia is a local tilapia variety developed by the Fish Seed Center (BBI) Janti, Klaten. This fish is the result of crossbreeding between male Pandu tilapia and female Kunti tilapia. Larasati tilapia has a survival rate of 90%, making it easy to cultivate in various environments such as fast-flowing water, calm water, brackish water, or artificial ponds. Larasati tilapia has been designated as a superior seed following the decision of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia, namely Decree 79/Men/2009 dated October 23, 2009.
One of its primary advantages is its ability to thrive in various pond environments. Whether it's in calm water, fast-flowing water, brackish water, or artificial ponds, Larasati tilapia can adapt well. This flexibility provides a significant advantage for farmers, as they can adjust their cultivation methods to the existing environmental conditions. Furthermore, Larasati tilapia is also highly resistant to Streptococcus bacteria and Algalectiae insects, which are often problematic in fish farming. This resistance reduces the risk of fish mortality and losses for farmers, as well as lowers the need for medication and antibiotics, ultimately reducing operational costs.
In addition to its flexibility in cultivation environments and disease resistance, Larasati tilapia is also known for its rapid growth, which is a crucial factor in fish farming ventures. This fast growth means that the time required from seed stocking to harvest is shorter, allowing farmers to conduct more cultivation cycles in a year. Another advantage of Larasati tilapia is its ability to produce more meat compared to other tilapia varieties. This not only increases productivity but also the economic value of each harvest.
3. BEST Tilapia (Bogor Enhanced Strain Tilapia)
BEST Tilapia: nila B E S T
BEST tilapia stands for Bogor Enhanced Strain Tilapia. This type of tilapia is produced through a breeding process using superior growth characteristics. BEST tilapia is the result of research conducted by a team of researchers from the Freshwater Aquaculture Research Center (BRPBAT) Bogor and has been released by the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. Female BEST tilapia can produce up to 1,500-2,800 eggs per fish, with the broodstock reaching a weight of 400 grams, resulting in relatively large egg sizes.
According to the Seed and Broodstock Information System for Research and Development Results (SISINBE), this fish has several advantages that make it an ideal choice for farmers. One of the main advantages of BEST tilapia is its resilience to extreme environmental conditions, allowing it to survive in various situations that may be less than ideal for other fish species. This provides greater flexibility for farmers in choosing cultivation locations. Furthermore, this fish also exhibits faster growth compared to other tilapia varieties, enabling farmers to reach harvest size in a shorter time.
Another advantage of BEST tilapia is its exceptional reproductive capability. This fish can produce 3-5 times more eggs than other tilapia, with fecundity reaching 1,500-2,800 eggs per fish at a broodstock weight between 280-400 grams. The resulting larvae are also relatively large, contributing to a high survival rate of over 90 percent. Disease resistance is also a crucial factor that makes BEST tilapia an excellent choice for cultivation.
4. GESIT Tilapia (Genetically Supermale Indonesian Tilapia)
GESIT Tilapia: KKP
GESIT tilapia (Genetically Supermale Indonesian Tilapia) was developed by IPB University, BPPT, and BBPBAT in 2006. This fish variety is the result of genetic engineering from GIFT tilapia (Genetic Improvement of Farmed Tilapias) originating from the Philippines. The government imported this fish twice in 1994 and 1997. GESIT tilapia has a very fast growth rate, reaching a size of 8 cm at 4-5 months of age. This tilapia can reach a weight of up to 500-600 grams per fish. One of the advantages of GESIT tilapia is its ability to produce male tilapia with a survival rate of up to 98 percent.
According to SISINBE, one of the main advantages of GESIT tilapia is its ability to produce fry with a composition of 90 percent male fish. This is highly beneficial for farmers because male fish generally have a faster growth rate and larger size compared to female fish. Overall, GESIT tilapia exhibits 30 percent faster growth than other tilapia varieties, allowing farmers to reach harvest size in a shorter time and increase productivity.
Furthermore, GESIT tilapia has an optimal growth temperature of around 25°C, which is well-suited to Indonesia's tropical climate. Another advantage is its high resistance to diseases, reducing the risk of mortality and losses for farmers, as well as decreasing the need for medication and antibiotics. Consumption safety is also an important concern, and GESIT tilapia is safer to consume because no hormones are used in its cultivation process.
5. Jatimbulan Tilapia (Jawa Timur Umbulan)
Jatimbulan Tilapia: UPT PBAT Umbulan
Jatimbulan tilapia, which means Jawa Timur Umbulan, is a high-quality tilapia variety widely cultivated. The advantage of Jatimbulan tilapia in cultivation is its rapid growth, easily reaching a size of up to 30 centimeters. Additionally, Jatimbulan tilapia has a relatively strong immune system against the threat of Aeromonas hydrophila bacteria.
According to SISINBE, one of the main advantages of Jatimbulan tilapia is its tolerance to high salinity up to 30 ppt through adaptation methods. This ability allows Jatimbulan fish to survive and grow well in brackish water environments, providing greater flexibility for farmers in choosing cultivation locations.
In addition to its salinity tolerance, Jatimbulan tilapia is also known for its exceptional growth rate. To reach a consumption size of 300-400 grams per fish, it only takes 3-3.5 months from a stocking size of 4-6 cm, and about 4 months if the initial stocking size is only 1 cm.
6. JICA Tilapia (Japan for International Cooperation Agency)
JICA tilapia is the result of collaboration between the Freshwater Aquaculture Center (BBAT) Jambi and JICA (Japan for International Cooperation Agency), a donor agency from Japan widely known for supporting various innovative projects in agriculture and fisheries. This genetically engineered fish is designed to produce tilapia with superior advantages compared to other existing tilapia varieties.
One of the main advantages of JICA tilapia is its very fast growth rate. Compared to GIFT tilapia (Genetic Improvement of Farmed Tilapia), JICA tilapia grows 20 percent faster. This advantage is highly beneficial for farmers as it allows them to reach harvest size in a shorter time. This rapid growth not only increases productivity but also enables more cultivation cycles in a year, thus significantly supporting increased production yields.