Oreochromis esculentus

Singidia tilapia
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Genus:	Oreochromis
Species:	O. esculentus
Binomial name
Oreochromis esculentus (Graham, 1928)

The singidia tilapia (Oreochromis esculentus) is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in Lake Victoria and its satellite lakes in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are swamps and freshwater lakes.

This fish is highly valued by local fishermen, who know it as ngege. Due to the introduced predatory Nile perch (Lates niloticus), it has become very rare, with the main population in Lake Victoria itself having declined by more than 80% in the last 20 years. In addition to the threat from the Nile perch, the remaining populations are also under heavy fishing pressure, leading to the evaluation of this species as critically endangered.

Source

• Twongo, T.K., Bayona, J.D.R. & Hanssens, M. 2005. Oreochromis esculentus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 4 August 2007.