Nile tilapia

Nile tilapia
Conservation status
Not evaluated
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Genus:	Oreochromis
Species:	O. niloticus
Binomial name
Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Tilapia crassispina Arambourg, 1948 Perca nilotica Linnaeus, 1758 Chromis nilotica (Linnaeus, 1758) Chromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) Oreochromis nilotica (Linnaeus, 1758) Oreochromis niloticus niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) Sarotherodon niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) Tilapia nilotica (Linnaeus, 1758) Tilapia nilotica nilotica (Linnaeus, 1758) Chromis guentheri Steindachner, 1864 Tilapia eduardiana Boulenger, 1912 Oreochromis niloticus eduardianus (Boulenger, 1912) Tilapia nilotica eduardiana Boulenger, 1912 Tilapia cancellata Nichols, 1923 Oreochromis cancellatus cancellatus (Nichols, 1923) Oreochromis niloticus cancellatus (Nichols, 1923) Tilapia nilotica cancellata Nichols, 1923 Tilapia calciati Gianferrari, 1924 Tilapia regani Poll, 1932 Tilapia nilotica regani Poll, 1932 Tilapia inducta Trewavas, 1933 Tilapia vulcani Trewavas, 1933 Oreochromis niloticus vulcani (Trewavas, 1933) Oreochromis vulcani (Trewavas, 1933) Oreochromis niloticus baringoensis Trewavas, 1983 Oreochromis niloticus filoa Trewavas, 1983 Oreochromis cancellatus filoa Trewavas, 1983 Oreochromis niloticus sugutae Trewavas, 1983 Oreochromis niloticus tana Seyoum & Kornfield, 1992

The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is a species of tilapia, a cichlid fish native to Africa from Egypt south to east and central Africa, and as far west as Gambia. It is also native to Israel, and numerous introduced populations exist outside its natural range (e.g., Brazil). It is also commercially known as mango fish, nilotica, or boulti. The first name leads to easy confusion with another tilapia traded commercially, the mango tilapia (Sarotherodon galilaeus).

The Nile tilapia has distinctive, regular, vertical stripes extending as far down the body as the bottom edge of the caudal fin, with variable coloration. Adults reach up to 60 cm (24 in) in length and up to 4.3 kg (9.5 lb). It lives for up to nine years. It tolerates brackish water and survives temperatures between 8 and 42 °C (46 and 108 °F). It is an omnivore, feeding on plankton as well as on higher plants. Introduced tilapia can easily become an invasive species (see Tilapia as exotic species). It is a species of high economic value and is widely introduced outside its natural range; probably next to the Mozambique tilapia (O. mossambicus), it is the most commonly cultured cichlid. In recent research done in Kenya, this fish has been shown to feed on mosquito larvae, making it a possible tool in the fight against malaria in Africa.

The Nile tilapia is an omnivore that feeds on both plankton and aquatic plants. It generally feeds in shallow waters, as harmful gases (such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia) and temperature fluctuations found in deep waters create problems for the physiology of the fish. The Nile tilapia thrives on the warmer temperatures commonly found in shallow waters compared to the colder environment of the deep lake. In general, tilapias are macrophyte-feeders, feeding on a diverse range of filamentous algae and plankton.

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Wikipedia