Rice and fish are for one, the staple food and the other, the main source of animal protein for Ivorian consumer. But the country is not self-sufficient in these two products. To ensure food security for its population, the Ivorian government emphasizes local production of rice and freshwater aquaculture. Rice-fish farming which is to combine or alternate rice and fish farming can help solve this problem. An experiment was conducted at the Fish Farming Research Station of Bouaké (Ivory Coast, West Africa) to study the environmental parameters of the juveniles Heterotis niloticus production in association with rice, with the aim of improving this farming practice in Ivory Coast. The experiment was carried from July to November 2013 with 440 larvae of H. niloticus and 19 200 15-dayold rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L., var. WITA 12) transplanted at 20 cm x 20 cm spacing. Water physical parameters were more or less equal in all treatment except dissolved oxygen with lowest values in rice-fish treatment which also displayed the highest temperature. the contents of mineral nutrients and growth rate and yield are higher in rice-fish treatment. This work shows that the production of juveniles H. niloticus is possible in rice-fish culture with a better comprehension of its ecological environment in order to improve its contribution to food security.
