Ecology Summary - Oreochromis alcalicus

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Main Ref.	Trewavas, E., 1983
Remarks	This species inhabits waters rich in sodium and chlorides with temperatures 16-40°C (Ref. 11287). Female is a mouth brooder which migrates from nest to nest while the male prepares the nest waiting for the female to deposit her eggs. Males defend the nest from juveniles and other species which feed on the eggs which fall from the female's mouth (Ref. 11288). Being strictly herbivores, the species survives on algae, mainly of the family Cyanophycea. The juveniles are carnivores feeding on invertebrates, eggs and larvae. Maximum feeding activity occurs at night (Ref. 11289). Very little is known about the growth of this fish.

Main Ref.

Trewavas, E., 1983

Remarks

This species inhabits waters rich in sodium and chlorides with temperatures 16-40°C (Ref. 11287). Female is a mouth brooder which migrates from nest to nest while the male prepares the nest waiting for the female to deposit her eggs. Males defend the nest from juveniles and other species which feed on the eggs which fall from the female's mouth (Ref. 11288). Being strictly herbivores, the species survives on algae, mainly of the family Cyanophycea. The juveniles are carnivores feeding on invertebrates, eggs and larvae. Maximum feeding activity occurs at night (Ref. 11289). Very little is known about the growth of this fish.

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Oreochromis alcalicus may be found.

Habitat

Substrate
Substrate Ref.
Special habitats
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

Feeding

Feeding type	plants/detritus+animals (troph. 2.2-2.79)
Feeding type Ref.	Trewavas, E., 1983
Feeding habit	grazing on aquatic plants
Feeding habit Ref.	Trewavas, E., 1983

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	Original sample		Unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition
From individual food items	2.65	0.21			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.

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