Embrapa Technology Allows Tambaqui To Reach 1.7 Kg in Just 10 Months and Doubles Weight Gain With Indoor Feeding Conditioning and Use of Estradiol

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 17/12/2025 at 21:02

Imagem: Ilustração artística

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Tambaqui Reaches 1.7 Kg in 10 Months, Growth 2.04 Times Higher, Density of 40 Kg/m³ and Potential of 50 Kg/m³ in Embrapa Research in Tocantins with Direct Impact on Brazilian Aquaculture

The tambaqui, the most cultivated native fish in the country, reached 1.7 kg in 10 months in research by Embrapa Pesca e Aquicultura in Tocantins, surpassing the average of 1 kg in 12 months and indicating significant productivity gains.

The study demonstrated a growth rate 2.04 times higher than the traditional average, consolidating scientific advances with a direct impact on the productive efficiency of national aquaculture of native species.

The research was conducted by Embrapa Pesca e Aquicultura, based in Tocantins, an institution responsible for the development, validation, and dissemination of the protocol applied to the tambaqui in the experimental system.

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Feeding Conditioning as a Central Factor

Indoor feeding conditioning was crucial for the result, allowing the fish to learn to consume feed more efficiently from the early stages of cultivation.

This training induced feeding behavior similar to that observed in tilapia, the dominant species in Brazilian aquaculture, bringing the productive indicators of the two aquaculture chains closer together.

Another decisive factor was the use of the hormone estradiol in females during the rearing phase, a strategy adopted for the highest weight gain rate in females.

After six weeks of hormonal supplementation, the fish demonstrated accelerated growth and better feed utilization, contributing to increasing the final productivity of the batch.

Short-Term Results

With the application of the protocol, the tambaquis reached 1 kg in only six and a half months, a performance significantly superior to the historical standards of the species in Brazil.

This advancement reduced the production cycle and enhanced the competitiveness of tambaqui against tilapia, maintaining characteristics of a native species adapted to national systems.

The research was partially conducted in net cages in the Palmas Lake in Tocantins, with a density of 40 kg/m³, as well as in water recirculation systems.

A mixed population was also tested, without hormonal supplementation, which reached 1.4 kg in 10 months, a result considered positive by researchers.

Application for Small and Medium Producers

The technology shows potential for adoption by family fish farmers, promoting social inclusion in different Brazilian regions, including the Midwest and Legal Amazon.

States like Mato Grosso do Sul are identified as strategic, due to the search for alternatives to tilapia and the availability of large reservoirs.

Among the favorable environments are Porto Primavera, Ilha Solteira, and Manso, considered suitable for the expansion of native fish farming on a regional scale.

These areas offer conditions for the application of the protocol and expansion of production with a focus on feed efficiency and reduction of production cycles.

Economic Assessment as the Next Step

Despite the zootechnical advances, Embrapa Pesca e Aquicultura is evaluating economic indicators, which are essential for enabling the mass adoption of the technology in the field.

The cost of feeding can represent up to 80% of production costs, requiring detailed analysis of financial return and sustainability of the system.

Another point under evaluation is the prolonged time in the indoor environment, necessary for feeding training, considered a sensitive factor in operational costs.

There is also the prospect of increasing tank density to 50 kg/m³, which may raise production per area in net cage systems.

Perspectives on Genetic Innovation

Genome editing emerges as a future tool to enhance tambaqui performance, increasing productive gains and efficiency in aquaculture systems.

These approaches still depend on complementary studies and technical evaluation before any potential application on a commercial scale.

National Production and Official Data

The tambaqui is the most produced native fish in Brazil, with 113.6 thousand tons recorded in 2023, according to IBGE data.

The production generated over R$ 1.2 billion, with Rondônia, Roraima, and Maranhão being the main producing states.

Despite the numbers, current production represents only part of the national potential, given the environmental conditions and demand for native species.

The new protocols can contribute to the diversification of aquaculture, reducing logistical costs and strengthening the income of family producers.

With information from Compre Rural.

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Embrapa Technology Allows Tambaqui To Reach 1.7 Kg in Just 10 Months and Doubles Weight Gain With Indoor Feeding Conditioning and Use of Estradiol

Tambaqui Reaches 1.7 Kg in 10 Months, Growth 2.04 Times Higher, Density of 40 Kg/m³ and Potential of 50 Kg/m³ in Embrapa Research in Tocantins with Direct Impact on Brazilian Aquaculture

Feeding Conditioning as a Central Factor

Short-Term Results

Application for Small and Medium Producers

Economic Assessment as the Next Step

Perspectives on Genetic Innovation

National Production and Official Data

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Embrapa Technology Allows Tambaqui To Reach 1.7 Kg in Just 10 Months and Doubles Weight Gain With Indoor Feeding Conditioning and Use of Estradiol

Tambaqui Reaches 1.7 Kg in 10 Months, Growth 2.04 Times Higher, Density of 40 Kg/m³ and Potential of 50 Kg/m³ in Embrapa Research in Tocantins with Direct Impact on Brazilian Aquaculture

Feeding Conditioning as a Central Factor

Short-Term Results

Application for Small and Medium Producers

Economic Assessment as the Next Step

Perspectives on Genetic Innovation

National Production and Official Data

At just 14 years old, a boy creates a system without energy, using steel pipes buried in the ground, that irrigates seedlings with moisture from the air, to combat the water scarcity threatening reforestation in northern China.

Where there was only sand and wind at 40 degrees, China built a megacity of 500,000 inhabitants with farms, wineries, and universities in the middle of the desert using melted glacier water from hundreds of kilometers away.

At over 8,800 meters above sea level, the summit of Mount Everest is made up of rocks that originated at the bottom of an ocean about 500 million years ago and were pushed to the highest point on Earth by the collision of tectonic plates.

The German economist Wolf-Peter Schill has no doubts: “Electric cars are already far superior to cars with internal combustion engines.”

Lula’s government changes rule in important benefit and thousands of Brazilians will no longer receive it; see what has changed.

Roraima bets on the sun to escape high tariffs: Amid the energy crisis and price hikes, solar energy is growing in Roraima and transforming consumption in the North region.

Scientists want to turn internet cables into sensors to listen for tremors on the Moon, and the plan could permanently change how the Artemis missions will explore, map risks, and protect astronauts on the lunar surface.

While the world looks at oil, the war with Iran is already disrupting helium supply from Qatar, affecting car and iPhone chips, threatening AI expansion, and putting pressure on aluminum packaging at the highest value in four years.

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