Lake Chala tilapia (Oreochromis hunteri)

Scientific name: Oreochromis hunteri G?nther, 1889

Lake Chala tilapia (Oreochromis hunteri)

The Lake Chala tilapia (Oreochromis hunteri) is a freshwater fish of the family Cichlidae. Native range: Africa, endemic to Lake Chala.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-13; Anal spines: 3 - 4; Anal soft rays: 10 - 16; Vertebrae: 31 - 34. Diagnosis: teeth very small, in narrow bands; pharyngeal bone narrow, its width about 26% head length, with fine teeth, crowded posteriorly, the blade equal to the median length of the toothed area in young, about 1.5 times as long in adults; pectoral fin usually less than 36% SL. Scales of chest and belly very small, in some individuals showing an abrupt transition from the flank scales for a short distance behind the pectoral-pelvic interspace; in some individuals dorsal scales also small. Caudal peduncle longer than deep. 3-4 anal fin spines. Body at least 2.8 times as long as deep; caudal peduncle at least 1.3 times longer than deep.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Oreochromis hunteri
Family
Cichlidae (Cichlids)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
30.0
Environment
Freshwater; benthopelagic
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Africa: endemic to Lake Chala.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Critically Endangered (CR) (B1ab(i,iii))
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries:
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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