Re: Fish Identification
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 10:41 am
"Tilapia" is correct!
Wonderful observation.
This is a small, but "adult" (in the reproductive sense) Mozambique Tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus.
Bloukurper.
Starting at the top:
1. Family, Cichlidae:
Common name Cichlids (including breams, jewelfish, happies, largemouths and tilapias) from Africa, Central&South America, Madagacar and India. Some are mouth brooders, some are substrate spawners
2. Subfam, Tilapiinae.
The Tilapiines, or simply tilapias. Evidently from the Sotho or Tswana name for fish, "Tlapi".
Within the subfam. those that are substrate spawners belong to the genus Tilapia and those that are mouthrbrooders belong to Oreochromis.
3. Oreochromis mossambicus.
Maternal mouthbrooder. East Coast rivers from E-Cape to Zambezi. Translocated to the W-Cape, Namibia and many locations worldwide, due to its aquaculture and angling potential.
They reach sexual maturity within a year and can grow to 400mm and 3kg (Skelton, 2001: p.327)
They are prolific breeders, often stunted, favouring "reproductive growth" over somatic growth in certain conditions.
Females can raise a brood every 3-4 weeks during summer.
Concerns over hybridization with other Oreochromis species, especially O. niloticus, the Nile Tilapia that have been illegally translocated to Zim and S.A.
Wonderful observation.
This is a small, but "adult" (in the reproductive sense) Mozambique Tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus.
Bloukurper.
Starting at the top:
1. Family, Cichlidae:
Common name Cichlids (including breams, jewelfish, happies, largemouths and tilapias) from Africa, Central&South America, Madagacar and India. Some are mouth brooders, some are substrate spawners
2. Subfam, Tilapiinae.
The Tilapiines, or simply tilapias. Evidently from the Sotho or Tswana name for fish, "Tlapi".
Within the subfam. those that are substrate spawners belong to the genus Tilapia and those that are mouthrbrooders belong to Oreochromis.
3. Oreochromis mossambicus.
Maternal mouthbrooder. East Coast rivers from E-Cape to Zambezi. Translocated to the W-Cape, Namibia and many locations worldwide, due to its aquaculture and angling potential.
They reach sexual maturity within a year and can grow to 400mm and 3kg (Skelton, 2001: p.327)
They are prolific breeders, often stunted, favouring "reproductive growth" over somatic growth in certain conditions.
Females can raise a brood every 3-4 weeks during summer.
Concerns over hybridization with other Oreochromis species, especially O. niloticus, the Nile Tilapia that have been illegally translocated to Zim and S.A.
wynand, excellent info coming through! Thank you 