Modulating the growth, immune/antioxidant traits, immune-related genes, and resistance to Aeromonas veronii infection in Oreochromis niloticus reared under high stocking densities by dietary Lavandula angustifolia essential oil

In this study, we investigated the effects of the dietary addition of lavender essential oil (LEO) on mitigating the adverse effects of high stocking densities (HSD) in the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. We used 216 fingerlings and randomly distributed them according to a 2 × 3 factorial design, comprising two stocking densities: a low stocking density (LSD, 2.92 kg/m3) and a high stocking density (5.85 kg/m3) and three levels of LEO, 0, 0.5