Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) > Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Tilapia: Bechuana, African native thiape = fish (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Trewavas.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 7.0 - 7.8; dH range: ? - 15. Tropical; 22°C - 26°C (Ref. 2059); 19°S - 21°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: endemic to Lake Guinas, Namibia. Introduced to Lake Otjikoto and several reservoirs in Namibia. Also occurs in subterranean rivers.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 14.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 6465)

Found in deep sinkhole lakes (100 m deep or more, e.g. introduced population in Lake Otjikoto, Namibia) with moderately clear water and with water temperatures ranging from 19 to 27°C (Ref. 6465). Omnivorous (Ref. 52307), but feeds mainly on algae and diatoms (Ref. 6465, 52307). Generally congregate, breed and feed from the near-vertical shores. Use narrow shelves for breeding, with established and defended territories, both parents guard and tend eggs. Threatened due to depletion of local groundwater resources and impact of introduced species (Ref. 7248). Individuals tend to display different color patterns ranging from pure black to mottled black and blue, pink and white (Ref. 27829). Biparental open-spawning species (Ref. 52307).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Nests are built on narrow rocky ledges and competition for these nest sites is very strong.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Kullander, Sven O. | Collaborators

Teugels, G.G. and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde, 1991. Tilapia. p. 482-508. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse, G.G. Teugels and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Brussels; MRAC, Tervuren; and ORSTOM, Paris. Vol. 4. (Ref. 5163)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Critically Endangered (CR) (B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)); Date assessed: 01 March 2007

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Aquarium: commercial

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators

Ecology
Ecology

Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
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Abundance

Life cycle
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Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
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Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics

Distribution
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Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
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Physiology
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Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
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Toxicity (LC50s)

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Genetics
Heterozygosity
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Stamps, coins, misc.

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Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5078 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01445 (0.00674 - 0.03099), b=2.99 (2.82 - 3.16), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 2.0 ±0.00 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).

Tilapia guinasana Trewavas, 1936