The Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus, is a tilapiine cichlid

Cichlid

Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...

 fish native to southern Africa. It is a popular fish for aquaculture

Aquaculture

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...

. It is now found in tropical and subtropical habitats around the globe, where it can become an invasive species

Invasive species

"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....

.

Morphology

The Mozambique tilapia is laterally compressed, and has a deep body with long dorsal fins, the front part of which has spines. Coloration is typically yellow, although this is variable, and there may be weak banding.

Home Range

The Mozambique tilapia is native to coastal regions and the lower reaches of rivers in southern Africa, from the Zambezi River delta to Bushman River

Bushman River

The Bushman's River is an east to north-easterly flowing tributary of the Tugela River, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg Mountain range, with its upper catchment in the Giant's Castle Game Reserve, north of the Giant's Castle promontory...

 in the eastern Cape.http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=131 It is threatened in its home range by competition with the invasive Nile tilapia (Waal 2002).

Diet

Mozambique tilapia are omnivorous. They can consume detrital material, diatoms, invertebrates, small fry and vegetation ranging from macroalgae to rooted plants (Mook 1983, Trewevas 1983). This broad diet helps the species thrive in diverse locations.

Invasiveness

The Mozambique tilapia is an invasive species

Invasive species

"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....

 in many parts of the world, having escaped from aquaculture or been deliberately introduced to control mosquitoes (Moyle 1976). It has been nominated by the Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) as one the 100 worst invasive species in the world (Courtenay 1989). It can harm native fish populations through competition for food and nesting space, as well as by directly consuming small fish (Courtenay et al. 1974). In Hawaii, striped mullet Mugil cephalus are threatened because of the introduction of this species. Mozambique tilapia may also be responsible for the decline of the desert pupfish, Cyprinodon macularius

Cyprinodon macularius

Cyprinodon macularius is a rare species of fish in the family Cyprinodontidae and is known by the common name desert pupfish. It is a federally listed endangered species in the United States....

, in California's Salton Sea (Courtenay and Robins 1989, Swift et al. 1993).

Hybridization

As with most species of tilapia, Mozambique tilapia have a high potential for hybridization. They are often crossbred with other tilapia species in aquaculture because purebred Mozambique tilapia grow slowly and have a body shape poorly suited to cutting large fillet

Fillet (cut)

A fillet is a cut or slice of boneless meat or fish.- Meat :In the case of beef, in the USA, the term most often refers to beef tenderloin, especially filet mignon.- Chicken :...

s. Also, hybrids between certain parent combinations (such as between Mozambique and Wami tilapia) result in offspring that are all or predominantly male. Male tilapia are preferred in aquaculture as they grow faster and have a more uniform adult size than females. The "Florida Red" tilapia is popular commercial hybrid of Mozambique and Blue tilapia.http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA012

Reproduction

In the first step in the reproductive cycle for Mozambique tilapia, males excavate a nest into which a female can lay her eggs. After the eggs are laid the male fertilizes them. Then the female stores the eggs in her mouth, called mouthbrooding, until the fry hatch (Popma, 1999).

Use in aquaculture

Mozambique tilapia are hardy individuals that are easy to raise and harvest, making them a good aquacultural species. They have a mild, white flesh that is appealing to consumers. This species constitutes about 4% of the total tilapia aquaculture production worldwide, but is more commonly hybridized with other tilapia species (Gupta and Acosta 2004). Tilapia are very susceptible to diseases such as whirling disease and ich (Popma, 1999).

Other names

The species is known by a number of other names including

• Oreochromis andersonii
• Tilapia kafuensis
• Kafue bream
• Three spotted tilapia

External links

• Photo of "Florida Red" hybrid. Retrieved 2007-JUL-12.