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Tilapia Wikipedia

Taxobox_begin | color = pink | name = Tilapia
<!-- Taxobox_image | image = | caption = -->
Taxobox_begin_placement | color = pink
Taxobox_regnum_entry | taxon = Animalia
Taxobox_phylum_entry | taxon = Chordate|Chordata
Taxobox_superclassis_entry | taxon = Osteichthyes
Taxobox_classis_entry | taxon = Actinopterygii
Taxobox_ordo_entry | taxon = Perciformes
Taxobox_familia_entry | taxon = Cichlidae
Taxobox_genus_entry | taxon = Tilapia<br/>Taxobox authority | author = Andrew Smith (zoologist)|Smith | date = 1840
Taxobox_end_placement
Taxobox_section_subdivision | color = pink | plural_taxon = Species
Tilapia aurea - Blue Tilapia<br>
Tilapia galilaea - Galilee Cichlid<br>
Tilapia heudeloti - Senegal Cichlid<br>
Tilapia hornorum<br>
Tilapia macrochir - Longfin Tilapia<br>
Tilapia mariae - Spotted Tilapia<br>
Tilapia melanotheron - Blackchin Tilapia<br>
Tilapia nilotica - Nile Tilapia<br>
Tilapia rendalli - Redbreast Tilapia<br>
Tilapia sparrmani - Banded Tilapia<br>
Tilapia urolepis - Wami Tilapia<br>
Tilapia zillii - Redbelly Tilapia<br>
Tilapia buttikoferi - Zebra Tilapia<br>
Taxobox_end

Tilapia is a genus of freshwater | fresh and brackish water fish in the family Cichlidae. Members of this genus, together with species of the closely related genera Oreochromis and Sarotherodon are commonly called tilapia in many languages, including English_language | English. Species from all three genera have become widely used as subjects for aquaculture and as food fish, so simply because a fish is sold as tilapia does not necessarily mean that it is a member of the genus Tilapia.

An alternative common name for tilapia is "St. Peter's fish" because of the account in Matthew 17:24-??27 about Peter catching a fish that carried a shekel coin in its mouth. Sarotherodon galilaea, the species of tilapia common in the Sea of Galilee, has certainly been the target of artisinal fisheries for thousands of years. However, the St. Peter's fish name has also been applied to other fish, such as the Zeidae | John Dory. In most situations tilapia are simply referred to as tilapia or some variation thereof, for example redbreasted tilapia for Tilapia rendalli. Restaurants and producers of frozen or convenience meals will often avoid using the tilapia name and instead refer to the fish as whitefish or perch; this is especially common in markets (such as Europe and US) that are largely unfamiliar with tilapia as a food fish.

Although Tilapia (and the related genus | genera Sarotherodon and Oreochromis) species are native to Africa and the Levant, they have been introduced widely into tropical fresh and brackish waters around the world. Some introductions, as in Florida and Texas, were unplanned, often by aquarium specimens being released by their owners after the fish grew too large. More often, however, the fish have been introduced deliberately for artisinal or industrial scale aquaculture. Because Tilapia are large, fast growing, highly fecund, and tolerate a wide variety of water conditions (even marine conditions), once introduced into a habitat they generally establish themselves very quickly. In many places, particularly Florida and Australia, feral populations of Tilapia have had detrimental effects on ecosystems.

Tilapia are easy to keep in aquariums provided they get enough space. They breed easily and grow fast, but are a danger to any smaller fish. Most of the species are substrate spawners but some are mouthbrooders. They can also be somewhat aggressive or boisterous, and so need to be kept with other hardy and robust fish. They mix well with non-territorial cichlids, large catfish, tinfoil barbs, garpike, and other big but peaceful fish.

Although their meat is somewhat bland compared with cod, salmon, or sea bass, Tilapia are a good source of protein and have been assimilated into the cuisines of many countries. They are widely sold and used as white fish in the United States, particularly in places far from the sea where saltwater fish are expensive. In some regions the fish can be put out in the rice fields when rice is planted, and will have grown to edible size (12&ndash;15 cm, 5&ndash;6 inches) when the rice is ready for harvest. Most farming of tilapia takes place in Africa and tropical Asia, but there are often significant tilapia aquaculture programs wherever natural or artifical sources of warm water exist. In Europe and the United States, tilapia farms take advantage of hot water from Power_station | power stations and in Israel ship hulks deliberately sunk along the coast of the Red Sea have been used as pools for raising tilapia in brackish or marine waters. See also fish farming.

Image:Tilapia.jpg|thumb|250px| Nile Tilapia

Tilapia are a potential biological control for certain aquatic plant problems. They have a preference for a floating aquatic plant, duckweed (Lemna sp.) but also consume some filamentous alga.

It is sometimes erroneously spelled Talapia or Telapia.

Reproduction

The tilapia first will prepare their nest for the offspring. This is often a cleared area on the substrate in shallow water where oxygen supplies are abundant.
The female then lays the eggs, ranging in number from about a dozen to more than 200, into the nest.
In mouthbrooding species, the male fertilization|fertilizes the eggs and then picks them up into his mouth and oral incubation takes place. This helps the eggs to stay highly oxygenated and prevents them from being attacked by bacterium|bacteria.
The male mouthbreeder keeps the eggs aerated and free from bacteria and fungus by running water over the eggs into his mouth and out beneath the gill covers constantly.

Last Modified:   2005-11-07