Physical description: An oval shaped fish with a black body coloring. Seven to nine yellow, transverse bands mark the body. The head is yellow and the throat is black. The fins have the striping pattern of the body, except for the anal and pelvic fins which are black. Size/Length: To 10" (25 cm) Similar species: Tilapia joka, T. mariae Habitat: Western Africa; found in rivers from Guinea to Liberia. S: bottom, middle Aquarium: A 48" (122 cm) tank with a capacity of 55 gallons (209 L) is sufficient for fish to 8" (15 cm). Larger tanks are required for full grown fish. See for Tilapia joka more details. Water chemistry: pH 6-7.5 (6.7), 4-15 dH (7), 73-77°F (23-25°C) Social behavior: A belligerent species that preys on smaller fish. Territorial towards other fish. This species will dig up and eat soft-leafed plants. Combine with other tough fish. Suggested companions: Hemichromis, "Haplochromis," Synodontis, Cichlasomines. FOOD: Live; fish, crustaceans, insect larvae, aquatic insects, Tubifex; vegetables; lettuce, spinach; flakes; tablets; chopped meat. Be sure to include roughage in this species's diet. SEX: Males are larger. Breeding techniques: See Tilapia joka. Breeding potential: 7. Breeding is moderately difficult. Remarks: Requires frequent partial water changes to prosper. Difficulty of care: 6. A hardy and pugnacious species. Recent articles about fish Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees (2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health. Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees (10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine. Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater (12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina. |
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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2009 The copy for fish.mongabay.com was written in 1994-1995. Therefore some information such as scientific names may be out of date. For this, I apologize. Feel free to send corrections to me. |
