Oreochromis niloticus niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Nile tilapia

Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Classification	Actinopterygii \| Perciformes \| Cichlidae \| Pseudocrenilabrinae
Synonyms	Perca nilotica, Chromis nilotica, Chromis niloticus, ... more
Common names	Tilapia du Nil, Tilapia del Nilo, Baringo tilapia, ... more

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Main reference

Trewavas, E. 1983. (Ref. 2)
Other references | Biblio | Coordinator : Kullander, Sven O. | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 60.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4967); max. published weight: 4,324 g (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 9 years (Ref. 164)

Environment

Benthopelagic; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); freshwater; brackish; depth range 5 - ? m (Ref. 28714), usually ? - 20 m (Ref. 34290)

Climate / Range

Tropical; 14°C - 33°C (Ref. 3); 32°N - 10°N

Africa: coastal rivers of Israel; Nile from below Albert Nile to the delta; Jebel Marra; in West Africa natural distribution covers the basins of the Niger, Benue, Volta, Gambia, Senegal and Chad, but introduced specimens reported from coastal basins. Widely introduced for aquaculture, with many existing strains. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 18; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 9 - 11; Vertebrae: 30 - 32. Diagnosis: jaws of mature male not greatly enlarged (length of lower jaw 29-37 % of head length); genital papilla of breeding male not tassellated (Ref. 2). Most distinguishing characteristic is the presence of regular vertical stripes throughout depth of caudal fin (Ref. 4967, 53405). Description: lower pharyngeal bone longer than broad, its anterior part longer than toothed part; outer jaw teeth bicuspid, inner jaw teeth tricuspid, posterior pharyngeal teeth bicuspid and stout; 3-4 rows of teeth in jaws (3-5, rarely 6, in specimens over 200 mm SL); micro-gillrakers present; scales cycloid (Ref. 53405). Coloration: margin of dorsal fin grey or black; vertical bars in caudal fin 7-12 (Ref. 2). Regular black cross bars on caudal fin; ground colour greyish, relatively dark in adults; back olivaceous-green, sides paler, with 6-9 rather indistinct cross bars; belly whitish; upper lip pale green or white, lower lip white; dorsal and anal fins greyish, sometimes with very narrow red margin, soft part of fin with vertical lines (or with aligned light spots resembling striped pattern); pelvic fins grey, pectorals transparent; "tilapian" spot lacking in adults but very distinct in fingerlings which also have more distinct cross bars and very prominent black spot on upper part of caudal peduncle; throat, belly and unpaired fins black in mature males (Ref. 53405).

Occurs in a wide variety of freshwater habitats like rivers, lakes, sewage canals and irrigation channels (Ref. 28714). Mainly diurnal. Feeds mainly on phytoplankton or benthic algae. Marketed fresh and frozen (Ref. 9987). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Mouthbrooding by females (Ref. 2). Extended temperature range 8 - 42 °C, natural temperature range 13.5 - 33 °C (Ref. 3).


IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 57073)	Threat to humans
Not Evaluated	Potential pest

Human uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial


More information
Countries FAO areas Ecosystems Occurrences Introductions Ecology Diet Food items Food consumption Ration	Common names Synonyms Metabolism Predators Ecotoxicology Reproduction Maturity Spawning Eggs Egg development	Age/Size Growth Length-weight Length-length Length-frequencies Morphometrics Morphology Larvae Larval dynamics Recruitment	Other references Biblio Aquaculture Aquaculture profile Strains Genetics Allele frequencies Heritability Diseases Processing	Collaborators Pictures Stamps Sounds Ciguatera Speed Swim. type Gill area Otoliths Brains Vision

Tools
Biogeographic modelling \| Bio-Quiz \| E-book \| Field guide \| Identification keys \| Length-frequency wizard \| Life-history tool \| LifeMapper \| Point map

Special reports
Check for Aquarium maintenance \| Check for Species Fact Sheets \| Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML
Summary page \| Point data \| Common names \| Photos

Internet sources

Estimation of some characteristics with mathematical models

Resilience (Ref. 69278)

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.14-0.41; tm=1-2; tmax=9)


Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)	Price category (Ref. 80766)
Low to moderate vulnerability (34 of 100)	Not marketed/unknown

Entered by Luna, Susan M.

Modified by Casal, Christine Marie V.

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Page last modified by : elaxamana, 15 July 2009

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