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Oreochromis niloticus

Nile Tilapia
NS GNR
Collection Details

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Taxonomic Hierarchy

Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes) Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri) Cichlidae (Cichlids) Oreochromis Oreochromis niloticus (Nile Tilapia)

Description

This species account was compiled from FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.) and processed using AI-assisted text extraction. It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting. When citing, please reference the original source rather than this page. Learn more about our species accounts.

Characters

Body shape: fusiform / normal. Diagnosis: A large deep-bodied tilapia, with a relatively small head (Ref. 118638). Jaws of mature male not greatly enlarged, length of lower jaw 29-37% of head length; genital papilla of breeding male not tassellated (Ref. 2). Body depth 36-50% of SL (Ref. 28714). Most distinguishing characteristic is the presence, at all life stages, of regular vertical stripes throughout depth of caudal fin (Ref. 4967, 53405, 118638). In smaller fishes, these are relatively wide and form an arc, and start at the base of the caudal fin (Ref. 118638). Males are bluish pink, sometimes with a dark throat, belly, anal and pelvic fins; females are usually brownish, silvery/white beneath with around 10 thin vertical bars (Ref. 118638). Description: Lower pharyngeal bone longer than broad, its anterior part longer than toothed part; outer jaw teeth bicuspid, inner jaw teeth tricuspid, posterior pharyngeal teeth bicuspid and stout; 3-4 rows of teeth in jaws (3-5, rarely 6, in specimens over 200 mm SL); micro-gillrakers present; scales cycloid (Ref. 53405). Coloration: margin of dorsal fin grey or black; vertical bars in caudal fin 7-12 (Ref. 2). Regular black cross bars on caudal fin; ground colour greyish, relatively dark in adults; back olivaceous-green, sides paler, with 6-9 rather indistinct cross bars; belly whitish; upper lip pale green or white, lower lip white; dorsal and anal fins greyish, sometimes with very narrow red margin, soft part of fin with vertical lines (or with aligned light spots resembling striped pattern); pelvic fins grey, pectorals transparent; "tilapian" spot lacking in adults but very distinct in fingerlings which also have more distinct cross bars and very prominent black spot on upper part of caudal peduncle; throat, belly and unpaired fins black in mature males (Ref. 53405). Head and trunk in breeding male suffused with red (Ref. 28714). Striking features: none.

Distribution

Oreochromis niloticus filoa: Israel strain. Introduced to the Gan Shmuel hatchery, Israel from Kajansi Fish Culture Station, Uganda by Pruginin in 1969. Founding stock consisted of 120 fry and a further sample (?) in 1970.

Habitat Associations

Freshwater, brackish. benthopelagic. depth range 0-20 m. Found in: streams, lakes.

Biology

Occurs in a wide variety of freshwater habitats like rivers, lakes, sewage canals and irrigation channels (Ref. 28714). Does not do well in pure salt water, but is able to survive in brackish water (Ref. 52307). Mainly diurnal. Feeds mainly on phytoplankton or benthic algae. Additionally, insect larvae are of some importance, as are aufwuchs and detritus; juveniles tend to be more omnivorous than adults (Ref. 52307). Oviparous (Ref. 205), ovophilic (Ref. 52307). A maternal mouthbrooder (Ref. 2, 28714, 52307, 118638), males dig simple pits in shallow water (Ref. 118638). May mature early (about 11 cm TL females, 14 cm TL males) (Ref. 28714). Globally, the most important tilapia species in fish farming and supports major capture fisheries where established; generally highly invasive and known to hybridise with many other Oreochromis species and for this reason further stocking has been banned in a number of countries, e.g. South Africa, Malawi and Zambia (Ref. 118638). Extended temperature range 8-42 °C, natural temperature range 13.5 - 33 °C (Ref. 3). Maximum depth from Ref. 34290. Marketed fresh and frozen (Ref. 9987).
Max length: 60.0 cm SL; max weight: 4324 g; max age: 9 years.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; mating system: polygyny; bearers (external brooders); parental care: maternal. Sexual maturity is reached at 3-6 months depending on temperature, reaching about 30 g. Reproduction occurs only when temperatures are over 20°C. Several yearly spawnings every 30 days. Females incubate eggs inside their mouths (approximately for a week) where larvae hatch and remain until the vitellus is reabsorved. Egg size 1.5 mm, larval length at hatching 4 mm. Spawns in firm sand in water from 0.6 to 2 m deep of lakes (Ref. 2) and inshore waters (Ref. 55624). Males set up and defend territory which are visited by the females. Courtship lasts several hours. A single male probably fertilises the eggs of more than one female (Ref. 55624). Eggs are shed in batches in shallow nest and fertilized by male. Each batch of eggs is picked up into oral cavity by female. Females solely involved in broodcare. Female carries up to 200 eggs in her mouth where the larvae hatch and remain until after the yolk-sac is absorbed.
IUCN Red List Status: N.A. (N.A.).

Commercial or Environmental Importance

Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial.

References

Trewavas, E. (1983) Tilapiine fishes of the genera Sarotherodon, Oreochromis and Danakilia. British Mus. Nat. Hist., London, UK. 583 p.
Philippart, J.-C. and J.-C. Ruwet (1982) Ecology and distribution of tilapias. p. 15-60. In R.S.V. Pullin and R.H. Lowe-McConnell (eds.) The biology and culture of tilapias. ICLARM Conf. Proc. 7.
Lowe-McConnell, R.H. (1982) Tilapias in fish communities. p. 83-113. In R.S.V. Pullin and R. H. Lowe-McConnell (eds.) The biology and culture of tilapias. ICLARM Conf. Proc. 7. 432 p.
Pruginin, Y., S. Rothbard, G. Wohlfarth, A. Halevy, R. Moav and G. Hulata (1975) All-male broods of Tilapia nilotica x T. aurea hybrids. Aquaculture 6:11-21.
Eccles, D.H. (1992) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Field guide to the freshwater fishes of Tanzania. Prepared and published with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (project URT/87/016). FAO, Rome. 145 p.
Getachew, T. and C.H. Fernando (1989) The food habits of an herbivorous fish (Oreochromis niloticus Linn.) in Lake Awasa, Ethiopia. Hydrobiologia 174:195-200.
Several (1999) Several references listed in Food Items table. See Food Items table for species in question.
Wudneh, T. (1998) Biology and management of fish stocks in Bahir Dar Gulf, Lake Tana, Ethiopia. Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands. 144 p. Ph. D. dissertation.
Teugels, G.G. and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (2003) Cichlidae. p. 521-600. In D. Paugy, C. Lévêque and G.G Teugels (eds.) The fresh and brackish water fishes of West Africa Volume 2. Coll. faune et flore tropicales 40. Institut de recherche de développement, Paris, France, Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris, France and Musée royal de l'Afrique Central, Tervuren, Belgium, 815p.

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