The effect of dry feed enriched with plant extracts on the induction of sex reversal and survival of Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) fry

Alianpour, Erfan; Abediankenari, A.; Tavakoli Zaniani, Negar; Esteghlalian, Arash

doi:10.48311/jfst.2026.120948.82474

The effect of dry feed enriched with plant extracts on the induction of sex reversal and survival of Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) fry

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

Erfan Alianpour ¹

A. Abediankenari ¹

Negar Tavakoli Zaniani ²

Arash Esteghlalian ³

¹ Aquaculture Department, Natural Resources and Marine Sciences Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran

² Tarbiat Modares University

³ Moj Sabz Ornamental Fish Farm, Qale No, Rey, Tehran, Iran

10.48311/jfst.2026.120948.82474

Abstract

In Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens), males exhibit greater phenotypic appeal and higher economic value than females. One of the novel and eco-friendly approaches to achieve a male-dominated population and induce sex reversal is the use of plant extracts. This study investigated the efficacy of a combination of herbal extracts (Ginger, Tribulus and Ginseng) in inducing sex reversal in Betta splendens fry at dietary concentrations of zero (control), 150 (T1), 300 (T2) and 600 (T3) mg/kg of feed. At the end of the 60-day rearing period, the sex reversal rate was evaluated. The masculinization rate was higher in all treatment groups compared to the control group, with significant differences observed among the treatments. The highest masculinization performance was observed in groups T2 and T3, with rates of 96.67 ± 3.33% and 96.90 ± 2.76%, respectively. The lowest masculinization rate was recorded in the control group (44.53 ± 4.71%). Regarding survival, the highest rates were observed in groups T1 and T2 (100% and 98.89 ± 1.92%, respectively), while the lowest survival rate was recorded in group T3 (68.89 ± 5.09%). In conclusion, the optimal performance in both masculinization rate and survival was achieved in group T2 (300 mg/kg of feed).

Highlights

Keywords

: Betta splendens

Fish Feeding

Herbal extracts

Sex reversal

Survival rate

Subjects