Tilapia bythobates

Scientific name: Tilapia bythobates Stiassny, Schliewen & Dominey, 1992

Tilapia bythobates is a freshwater fish of the family Cichlidae that grows to about 12 cm (4.7 in). It is easy to keep and semi-aggressive, is best kept in a species tank and needs a tank of at least 115 L (30 US gal), water at 22–28°C (72–82°F) and a pH of 7.5. Native range: Africa, Lake Bemin, Cameroon.

Tilapia bythobates care at a glance

Care level: Easy
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Community tank: Not suitable
Adult size: 12 cm (4.7 in)
Minimum tank: 115 L (30 US gal)
Temperature: 22–28°C (72–82°F)
pH: 7.5
Diet: Omnivore. Accepts flakes, frozen foods and live foods.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 14 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-12; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 9. Diagnosis: lower pharyngeal jaw slender and gracile, with a reduced dentigerous plate; gill filaments of first arch short (ca. 10% of head length); 13-16 fleshy gill rakers on first arch; anterior gill rakers not markedly reduced in size.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Tilapia bythobates
Family: Cichlidae (Cichlids)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 12.6
Environment: Freshwater; benthopelagic
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Africa: endemic to Lake Bermin, Cameroon.
Conservation status (IUCN): Critically Endangered (CR) (B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii))
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries:
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Aquarium care parameters compiled, checked and converted to metric and imperial units by Guppies.za.net.

Last updated 28 September 2026