Black tilapia (Oreochromis placidus placidus)

Scientific name: Oreochromis placidus placidus Trewavas, 1941

Black tilapia (Oreochromis placidus placidus)

The Black tilapia (Oreochromis placidus placidus) is a freshwater fish of the family Cichlidae. Native range: Africa, Lower Zambezi and southwards in the lower parts of the Sabi, Lundi, Pungwe and Buzi Rivers.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 18; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-13; Anal spines: 4; Anal soft rays: 8 - 11; Vertebrae: 29 - 31. Silvery to steel-grey, whitish below. Breeding males are very dark grey on head and body with throat and all fins black; with a red or orange margin on the dorsal and grey or black marblings on the gill-cover.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Oreochromis placidus placidus
Family
Cichlidae (Cichlids)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
35.5
Environment
Freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Africa: Lower Zambezi and southwards in the lower parts of the Sabi, Lundi, Pungwe and Buzi Rivers.
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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