Tilapia sparrmanii
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Tilapia sparrmanii with tilapia spot from Lake Chilingali near Nkhotakota in Malawi. |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Tilapia sparrmanii | ||||||||||||
| Smith , 1840 |
Tilapia sparrmanii is a species of cichlid that is widespread in central and southern Africa. The distribution area extends from the Congo Basin to the northern tributaries of the Orange River . In the Congo Basin, the species was found in the rivers Kasaï , Kwango , Lualaba , Luapula , Lufira , Lulua and Luvua, among others. Other rivers south of the Congo Basin in which the species occurs are the upper Cuanza , the Kunene , the Okavango , the Zambezi , the Sabi , the Lundi and the Limpopo . In addition, tilapia sparrmanii in Lake Bangweulu , in Malawi , in Lake Mweru and Lake Ngami native to Botswana. Tilapia sparrmanii was introduced to the southern United States and Tanzania , but has not yet established itself there. There may also be stocks in Libya, Egypt, Chad, and Sudan. Due to its wide distribution, Tilapia sparrmanii is considered safe. Tilapia sparrmanii is the type species of the genus Tilapia .
features
Tilapia sparrmanii is a moderately high-backed cichlid species and reaches a maximum length of 25 cm. It has a relatively small head with a slightly curved forehead profile and a slightly rounded tail fin. The fish are gray-brown to bronze-brown in color and have seven to eight cross bars that are only indistinctly visible and weaken towards the belly. The fins are the same color as the trunk. The dorsal fin has a red-brown border, which is accompanied by a bluish band below. The anal fin is darkly lined and has a few bright spots at its base. The front edge of the pelvic fins is also dark. The caudal fin has no drawing. The dorsal fin has 13 to 15 hard rays .
Way of life
Tilapia sparrmanii occurs in different habitats. The species prefers shallow water with vegetation near the shore and swamps and avoids the open water of larger rivers and lakes. It feeds mainly on thread algae, aquatic plants, as well as leaves and other components of land plants. Young fish eat small crustaceans and mosquito larvae. Tilapia sparrmanii is a pair-forming open breeder . The clutch is relatively small with a maximum of 700 eggs. The larvae hatch after three to four days and are then transferred to hollows by the parents. After about eight days the fry swim free.
literature
- Anton Lamboj: The cichlids of western Africa. Publisher: Natur und Tier, 2006, ISBN 386-659000-8
Individual evidence
- ↑ tilapia sparrmanii in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: Kazembe, J., Marshall, B., Moelants, T. & Tweddle, D., 2006. Accessed July 15, 2015.
Web links
- Tilapia sparrmanii on Fishbase.org (English)