Boscolo et al., 2002. Rev. Bras. Zootec., 31 (2): 546-551

To evaluate the different inclusion levels of cassava meal (0.00, 6.00, 12.00, 18.00 and 24.00%) into Nile tilapia fingerling diets with 30.00% digestible protein and 3000 kcal/kg digestible energy, an experiment was carried out at the Aquaculture Laboratory of the Universidade Estadual de Maringa (Parana, Brazil). 200 reverted Thai strain Nile tilapia fingerlings were used. The fishes had an initial weight of 0.84 g and were 35 days old; they were distributed in twenty-five 250-litre tanks, in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 5 replications. Averages of weight gain (WG), apparent feed conversion (aFC), survival (S), hepatic-somatic rate (HSR), carcass yield (CY) and fat carcass percentage (FCP) were evaluated. The WG, aFC, S, HSR and CY did not show differences among treatments. A linear decrease in FCP was observed with an increase in the inclusion levels of cassava meal in the diets (Y=12.22-0.08657X; r 2=0.77). It was concluded that cassava meal may be used in the feeding of Nile tilapia fingerlings up to a 24% inclusion level.