Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus niloticus)

Scientific name: Oreochromis niloticus niloticus Linnaeus, 1758

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus niloticus)

The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus niloticus) is a freshwater fish of the family Cichlidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 14–33°C (57–91°F).

Nile tilapia care at a glance

Temperature
14–33°C (57–91°F)

Biology

Occur in a wide variety of freshwater habitats like rivers, lakes, sewage canals and irrigation channels. Mainly diurnal. Feed mainly on phytoplankton or benthic algae. Oviparous. Mouthbrooding by females. Extended temperature range 8-42 ?C, natural temperature range 13.5 - 33 ?C. Marketed fresh and frozen.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Oreochromis niloticus niloticus
Family
Cichlidae (Cichlids)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
60.0
Depth range
5 m (16 ft)
Environment
Freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; potamodromous; depth range 5 - ? m, usually ? - 20 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
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.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Potential pest
Uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.14-0.41; tm=1-2; tmax=9; Fec

Sources

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

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