HomeFreshwater aquarium fishAfrican cichlidsOkavango tilapia Okavango tilapia (Tilapia ruweti) Scientific name: Tilapia ruweti Poll & Thys van den Audenaerde, 1965 The Okavango tilapia (Tilapia ruweti) is a freshwater fish of the family Cichlidae. Native range: Africa, swampy high plateaus of the Congo-Zambezi watershed, including the Lufira River. Also known from the Okavango delta. Reported from Zimbabwe. BiologyOccurs in swamps and floodplain habitats, especially enriched pans and well-vegetated shallow littoral margins of drainage rivers. Feeds on detritus, soft plants and insect larvae. Males establish a territory and attract a ripe female to form a pair bond. Females construct a saucer-shaped nest in which eggs are laid and fertilized then tended mainly by the female while the male guards the territory.Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameTilapia ruwetiFamilyCichlidae (Cichlids)OrderPerciformes (Perch-like fish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length10.4EnvironmentFreshwater; benthopelagicClimateTropicalDistributionAfrica: swampy high plateaus of the Congo-Zambezi watershed, including the Lufira River. Also known from the Okavango delta. Reported from Zimbabwe.Conservation status (IUCN)Least Concern (LC)Threat to humansHarmlessUsesAquarium: commercialResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.) More african cichlidsTropheus duboisiBlunthead cichlidTropheus mooriiParananochromis caudifasciatusParacyprichromis nigripinnisNeolamprologus splendensNeolamprologus multifasciatusSee all african cichlids SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026