Oreochromis variabilis: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Species of fish}} |
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{{Speciesbox |
{{Speciesbox |
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| image = VariabilisM.jpg |
| image = VariabilisM.jpg |
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| image_caption = ''Oreochromis variabilis'', male, from Makobe Island, Lake Victoria, Tanzania, August 2016 |
| image_caption = ''Oreochromis variabilis'', male, from Makobe Island, Lake Victoria, Tanzania, August 2016 |
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| status = |
| status = NT |
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| status_system = IUCN3.1 |
| status_system = IUCN3.1 |
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| status_ref = <ref |
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author= Natugonza, V. & Musinguzi, L. |date=2022 |title=''Oreochromis variabilis'' |volume=2022 |page=e.T15458A47182212|url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15458/47182212 |access-date=3 August 2022}}</ref> |
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| taxon = Oreochromis variabilis |
| taxon = Oreochromis variabilis |
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| authority = ([[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger]], 1906) |
| authority = ([[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger]], 1906) |
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* ''Sarotherodon variabilis'' <small>(Boulenger, 1906)</small> |
* ''Sarotherodon variabilis'' <small>(Boulenger, 1906)</small> |
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}} |
}} |
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'''''Oreochromis variabilis''''', the '''Victoria tilapia''', is a |
'''''Oreochromis variabilis''''', the '''Victoria tilapia''', is a species of African [[cichlid]] native to [[Lake Victoria]] and its [[tributaries]], [[Lake Kyoga]], [[Lake Kwania]], and [[Lake Salisbury|Lake Bisina (Salisbury)]], as well as being found in the [[Victoria Nile]] above [[Murchison Falls]]. This species can reach a [[standard length]] of {{convert|30|cm|in|abbr=on}}. This species is important to local [[commercial fisheries]] and is potentially important in [[aquaculture]]. It is also found in the [[aquarium]] trade.<ref name=fishbase>{{FishBase |genus= Oreochromis|species= variabilis| month = April | year = 2013}}</ref> |
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Despite its common name, it is not the only tilapia native to Lake Victoria. The equally threatened ''[[Oreochromis esculentus|O. esculentus]]'' has a similar distribution.<ref>{{FishBase |genus= Oreochromis|species= esculentus| month = April | year = 2017}}</ref> |
Despite its common name, it is not the only tilapia native to Lake Victoria. The equally threatened ''[[Oreochromis esculentus|O. esculentus]]'' has a similar distribution.<ref>{{FishBase |genus= Oreochromis|species= esculentus| month = April | year = 2017}}</ref> |
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== Description == |
== Description == |
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''Oreochromis variabilis'' has typical characteristics of a cichlid fish: long [[dorsal fin]] with both spiny and soft rays, a broken lateral line, a single pair of nostrils and a single lower pharyngeal bone. Like other typical 'tilapias', it has relatively small closely packed teeth, numerous [[gill raker]]s and juveniles have a dark 'tilapia spot' at the base of the soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin. Like other members of the subgenus ''Nyasalapia'', the mature males develop a long, branched genital tassel and construct complex display structures or bowers on the bottom mud, characterised by a raised central platform, in contrast to the simple saucer-shaped pits excavated by other ''Oreochromis''. They also lack the enlarged jaws seen in mature males of the ''[[Mozambique tilapia|Oreochromis mossambicus]]'' group. Courting males are typically black (sometimes with a blue-green sheen), with bright red margins to the dorsal and tailfins.<ref name=":0" /> These characteristics are shared with the allopatric species ''O. malagarasi'' ([[Lake Tanganyika]] catchment) and ''[[Lake Rukwa tilapia|O. rukwaensis]]'' ([[Lake Rukwa]], and recently reported also from the upper part of the [[Great Ruaha River|Great Ruaha]] catchment<ref name=":1" />). An apparently unique feature of ''O. variabilis'', and the source of its name, is its colour [[Polymorphism (biology)|polymorphism]]. A small proportion of individuals of both sexes, although mainly females, show a disrupted [[melanin]] distribution, resulting in an pale orange or whitish fish with irregular dark blotches on the fins and body. This kind of pattern is known in [[haplochromine]] cichlid fishes from African great lakes (notably the Lake Malawi '[[mbuna]]' cichlids), where it is again mainly expressed in females. It bears some resemblance to the 'red tilapia' artificially selected in the [[aquaculture]] industry. These were known as 'Maradadi' among at least some of the fisherfolk on Lake Victoria, when this species was still an important food fish on the lake. ''Oreochromis variabilis'' also has a rather distinctive head profile, with a 'bump' just above the eyes, rather like the [[Lake Malawi]] 'chambo' species (males of which lack red fin margins), but |
''Oreochromis variabilis'' has typical characteristics of a cichlid fish: long [[dorsal fin]] with both spiny and soft rays, a broken lateral line, a single pair of nostrils and a single lower pharyngeal bone. Like other typical 'tilapias', it has relatively small closely packed teeth, numerous [[gill raker]]s and juveniles have a dark 'tilapia spot' at the base of the soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin. Like other members of the subgenus ''Nyasalapia'', the mature males develop a long, branched genital tassel and construct complex display structures or bowers on the bottom mud, characterised by a raised central platform, in contrast to the simple saucer-shaped pits excavated by other ''Oreochromis''. They also lack the enlarged jaws seen in mature males of the ''[[Mozambique tilapia|Oreochromis mossambicus]]'' group. Courting males are typically black (sometimes with a blue-green sheen), with bright red margins to the dorsal and tailfins.<ref name=":0" /> These characteristics are shared with the allopatric species ''O. malagarasi'' ([[Lake Tanganyika]] catchment) and ''[[Lake Rukwa tilapia|O. rukwaensis]]'' ([[Lake Rukwa]], and recently reported also from the upper part of the [[Great Ruaha River|Great Ruaha]] catchment<ref name=":1" />). An apparently unique feature of ''O. variabilis'', and the source of its name, is its colour [[Polymorphism (biology)|polymorphism]]. A small proportion of individuals of both sexes, although mainly females, show a disrupted [[melanin]] distribution, resulting in an pale orange or whitish fish with irregular dark blotches on the fins and body. This kind of pattern is known in [[haplochromine]] cichlid fishes from African great lakes (notably the Lake Malawi '[[mbuna]]' cichlids), where it is again mainly expressed in females. It bears some resemblance to the 'red tilapia' artificially selected in the [[aquaculture]] industry. These were known as 'Maradadi' among at least some of the fisherfolk on Lake Victoria, when this species was still an important food fish on the lake. ''Oreochromis variabilis'' also has a rather distinctive head profile, with a 'bump' just above the eyes, rather like the [[Lake Malawi]] 'chambo' species (males of which lack red fin margins), but less strongly expressed in ''O. rukwaensis'' and ''O. malagarasi''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Tilapiine fishes of the genera Sarotherodon, Oreochromis, and Danakilia /|last=Trewavas|first=Ethelwynn.|date=1983|publisher=British Museum (Natural History)|location=London|doi = 10.5962/bhl.title.123198|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/215113 }}</ref> |
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== Reproductive biology == |
== Reproductive biology == |
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Like all other known ''Oreochromis'', ''O. variabilis'' is a maternal [[mouthbrooder]]. Males are conspicuously coloured and aggregate in shallow waters, where they aggressively defend territories centred around their courtship bower. Females visit a number of males, laying batches of eggs with several, but rejecting many others. Females quickly pick up the eggs in their mouths and carry them for several weeks before releasing them to feed. Young are guarded in shallow weedy or rocky areas and may be re-admitted to their mother's mouth until they reach a length of about 15mm. In Lake Victoria, fishes were recorded as maturing at around |
Like all other known ''Oreochromis'', ''O. variabilis'' is a maternal [[mouthbrooder]]. Males are conspicuously coloured and aggregate in shallow waters, where they aggressively defend territories centred around their courtship bower. Females visit a number of males, laying batches of eggs with several, but rejecting many others. Females quickly pick up the eggs in their mouths and carry them for several weeks before releasing them to feed. Young are guarded in shallow weedy or rocky areas and may be re-admitted to their mother's mouth until they reach a length of about 15mm. In Lake Victoria, fishes were recorded as maturing at around 20 cm TL (total length), but in smaller water bodies, they might breed at about 16 cm TL. Females produce around 320–550 eggs, averaging around 2.5–4.5 cm in diameter. The bowers built by males are complex structures, with a raised central shallow saucer about 13–25 cm in diameter with a rim around 2 cm high, surrounded by 6–12 small pits, all contained within a larger pit, 30–90 cm in diameter, with a raised perimeter wall.<ref name=":0" /> |
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[[File:Oreochromis variabilis.jpg|thumb|''Oreochromis variabilis'': the holotype of ''Tilapia variabilis'', as illustrated in Boulenger 1907: a specimen of the blotched 'maradadi' morph.]] |
[[File:Oreochromis variabilis.jpg|thumb|''Oreochromis variabilis'': the holotype of ''Tilapia variabilis'', as illustrated in Boulenger 1907: a specimen of the blotched 'maradadi' morph.]] |
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== Current status of populations == |
== Current status of populations == |
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[[File:VariabilisNjombe244adj.jpg|thumb|Probable ''Oreochromis variabilis'' male showing full breeding dress, from a fishpond at [[Njombe]], Tanzania in January 2017.]] |
[[File:VariabilisNjombe244adj.jpg|thumb|Probable ''Oreochromis variabilis'' male showing full breeding dress, from a fishpond at [[Njombe]], Tanzania in January 2017.]] |
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The species is listed as |
The species is listed as near threatened by IUCN, with population declines attributed to the introduction of predatory [[Nile perch]] and competing non-native tilapias.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> However, populations continued to be reported from satellite lakes in the catchment which had remained unstocked with these exotics. More recently, in 2016, individuals were recorded on the rocky offshore island of Makobe in the Tanzanian part of the lake.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Shechonge|display-authors=etal|date=2018|title=Widespread colonisation of Tanzanian catchments by introduced Oreochromis tilapia fishes: the legacy from decades of deliberate introduction|journal=Hydrobiologia|doi=10.1007/s10750-018-3641-9|issn=0018-8158|doi-access=free}}</ref> |
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== References == |
== References == |
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[[Category:Oreochromis|variabilis]] |
[[Category:Oreochromis|variabilis]] |
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[[Category:Fish of Lake Victoria]] |
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[[Category:Freshwater fish of Tanzania]] |
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[[Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot]] |
[[Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot]] |
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[[Category:Fish described in 1906]] |
[[Category:Fish described in 1906]] |
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{{Tilapiini-stub}} |
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Latest revision as of 20:00, 2 March 2023
| Oreochromis variabilis | |
|---|---|
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| Oreochromis variabilis, male, from Makobe Island, Lake Victoria, Tanzania, August 2016 | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cichliformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Genus: | Oreochromis |
| Species: | O. variabilis
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| Binomial name | |
| Oreochromis variabilis (Boulenger, 1906)
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| Synonyms | |
| |
Oreochromis variabilis, the Victoria tilapia, is a species of African cichlid native to Lake Victoria and its tributaries, Lake Kyoga, Lake Kwania, and Lake Bisina (Salisbury), as well as being found in the Victoria Nile above Murchison Falls. This species can reach a standard length of 30 cm (12 in). This species is important to local commercial fisheries and is potentially important in aquaculture. It is also found in the aquarium trade.[2]
Despite its common name, it is not the only tilapia native to Lake Victoria. The equally threatened O. esculentus has a similar distribution.[3]
Description[edit]
Oreochromis variabilis has typical characteristics of a cichlid fish: long dorsal fin with both spiny and soft rays, a broken lateral line, a single pair of nostrils and a single lower pharyngeal bone. Like other typical 'tilapias', it has relatively small closely packed teeth, numerous gill rakers and juveniles have a dark 'tilapia spot' at the base of the soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin. Like other members of the subgenus Nyasalapia, the mature males develop a long, branched genital tassel and construct complex display structures or bowers on the bottom mud, characterised by a raised central platform, in contrast to the simple saucer-shaped pits excavated by other Oreochromis. They also lack the enlarged jaws seen in mature males of the Oreochromis mossambicus group. Courting males are typically black (sometimes with a blue-green sheen), with bright red margins to the dorsal and tailfins.[4] These characteristics are shared with the allopatric species O. malagarasi (Lake Tanganyika catchment) and O. rukwaensis (Lake Rukwa, and recently reported also from the upper part of the Great Ruaha catchment[5]). An apparently unique feature of O. variabilis, and the source of its name, is its colour polymorphism. A small proportion of individuals of both sexes, although mainly females, show a disrupted melanin distribution, resulting in an pale orange or whitish fish with irregular dark blotches on the fins and body. This kind of pattern is known in haplochromine cichlid fishes from African great lakes (notably the Lake Malawi 'mbuna' cichlids), where it is again mainly expressed in females. It bears some resemblance to the 'red tilapia' artificially selected in the aquaculture industry. These were known as 'Maradadi' among at least some of the fisherfolk on Lake Victoria, when this species was still an important food fish on the lake. Oreochromis variabilis also has a rather distinctive head profile, with a 'bump' just above the eyes, rather like the Lake Malawi 'chambo' species (males of which lack red fin margins), but less strongly expressed in O. rukwaensis and O. malagarasi.[4]
Reproductive biology[edit]
Like all other known Oreochromis, O. variabilis is a maternal mouthbrooder. Males are conspicuously coloured and aggregate in shallow waters, where they aggressively defend territories centred around their courtship bower. Females visit a number of males, laying batches of eggs with several, but rejecting many others. Females quickly pick up the eggs in their mouths and carry them for several weeks before releasing them to feed. Young are guarded in shallow weedy or rocky areas and may be re-admitted to their mother's mouth until they reach a length of about 15mm. In Lake Victoria, fishes were recorded as maturing at around 20 cm TL (total length), but in smaller water bodies, they might breed at about 16 cm TL. Females produce around 320–550 eggs, averaging around 2.5–4.5 cm in diameter. The bowers built by males are complex structures, with a raised central shallow saucer about 13–25 cm in diameter with a rim around 2 cm high, surrounded by 6–12 small pits, all contained within a larger pit, 30–90 cm in diameter, with a raised perimeter wall.[4]
Ecology[edit]
In its natural habitat, O. variabilis frequents shallow areas, both rocky and weedy, while the congeneric O. esculentus dominated the offshore habitats. Juveniles have been reported to feed on plankton, while adults mainly feed on bottom sediments or biofilms on rocks and other hard surfaces.[4]
Current status of populations[edit]
The species is listed as near threatened by IUCN, with population declines attributed to the introduction of predatory Nile perch and competing non-native tilapias.[1] However, populations continued to be reported from satellite lakes in the catchment which had remained unstocked with these exotics. More recently, in 2016, individuals were recorded on the rocky offshore island of Makobe in the Tanzanian part of the lake.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Natugonza, V. & Musinguzi, L. (2022). "Oreochromis variabilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T15458A47182212. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2013). "Oreochromis variabilis" in FishBase. April 2013 version.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2017). "Oreochromis esculentus" in FishBase. April 2017 version.
- ^ a b c d Trewavas, Ethelwynn. (1983). Tilapiine fishes of the genera Sarotherodon, Oreochromis, and Danakilia /. London: British Museum (Natural History). doi:10.5962/bhl.title.123198.
- ^ a b Shechonge; et al. (2018). "Widespread colonisation of Tanzanian catchments by introduced Oreochromis tilapia fishes: the legacy from decades of deliberate introduction". Hydrobiologia. doi:10.1007/s10750-018-3641-9. ISSN 0018-8158.