Oreochromis Mossambicus - Mozambique Tilapia
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Pest fish profiles Oreochromis mossambicus - Mozambique tilapia Overview p.1 Detailed Synonyms p.2 information Classification p.2 Appearance p.2 Taxonomic description p.2 Size p.2 Natural & introduced distrubition p.2 Diet p.3 Reproduction p.4 Ecological tolerances p.5 Ecological impacts p.6 Glossary p.8 References p.8 Contact details p. 12 Common names: crustaceans, molluscs and will opportunistically feed on fish eggs Mozambique tilapia. Also known as Mozambique mouthbrooder, and small fish. Kurper or mud bream (South Africa), Ikun mujair or Miracle fish (Indonesia). Reproduction: O. mossambicus is a polygynous, sexually dimorphic, maternal Appearance: mouthbrooder. Mature males aggregate at the start of the breeding There are two forms of Mozambique tilapia present in northern season in shallow margins of waterbodies and establish courtship Queensland: the "pure form" found in the Townsville-Thuringowa arenas (leks). Each male digs a shallow circular pit which is region and a hybrid form, found in the Cairns region, Atherton aggressively defended and used for display to attract a receptive Tablelands and the Burdekin River system. Both forms are deep- female. After fertilisation of eggs within the pit, the female collects bodied with almost symmetrical, tapered extensions to the rear the eggs in her mouth and establishes a brooding territory edge of the single dorsal and anal fins. These fin extensions are elsewhere Reproduction is regulated by temperature with longer in males than in females. The jaws of sexually mature males spawning thresholds for the species reported between 18° and of both forms are enlarged with the upper profile of the head often 25°C. Spawning is aseasonal in higher, subtropical latitudes (4-6 concave. months), about 9-10 months in the tropics and virtually continuous in equatorial regions where temperatures remain year-round above Size: at least 24°C. The typical size range (TL) reported for adult male O. mossambicus is 30 - 44cm from tropical/ subtropical regions where Brood size is related to female body size and can range between a conditions are within the species' normal tolerance ranges. Adult few hundred for stunted (early maturing) females to between 2000 females are smaller and, under similar conditions, range and 4000 for large females > 25cm SL. The species is a multiple approximately in size from 25-33 cm. spawner and can produce several broods during a season, the Under more extreme conditions at the limits of its range or in frequency strongly influenced by temperature - spawning intervals stressful environments (eg. shallow drying pools, marginal have been reported of between 30 and 40 days, resulting in about 5 habitats), the species can mature at a small size (stunting), and the broods in subtropical regions and about 8-10 broods in the tropics. maximum size range for males can be between 10-30cm TL. Because of the reproductive mode, survivorship of eggs and fry can be very high, with rates (at least under laboratory conditions) Natural and introduced distribution: reported of between 50 and 95%, thus allowing for very rapid It occurs in coastal regions eastern Africa between 33°S lat and population increase under favourable conditions. 17°S lat. Including Botswana, Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and South Africa.It has been introduced Ecological tolerances: into at least 90 countries including Australia, where it occurs in Can survive high and low temperatures, high salinity, low oxygen two states: Western Australia and Queensland. and high and low pH. Habitat: Ecological impacts: Inhabits slow flowing rivers and streams and still water habitats The highly invasive O. mossambicus has been implicated in the such as lakes and lagoons and in both fresh and brackish waters. A decline or disappearance of resident species from freshwater, population has even established on a marine atol in the central estuarine and marine habitats in several countries following its Pacific. A 'type' habitat of the species is the lower Zambezi River, introduction. It can have negative impacts on aquatic communities central Mozambique (eastern Africa, 18° 46'S) which is virtually on through grazing or predation, interference competition the same latitude as Ingham (18° 43'S). (overcrowding) for food and space, as a vector of disease-causing pathogens, or by activities which lead to changes in the abiotic Diet: environment (e.g., loss of water quality which may affect Mozambique tilapia consumes a wide range of food items, survivorship of resident species). although it is predominantly a benthic feeder on plant material including filamentous and unicellular algae, water weeds, terrestrial plants and organic detritus. It will also consume cyanobacteria, aquatic invertebrates such as insect larvae, small >1< Detailed information Synonyms Taxonomic description Chromis mossambicus (Peters 1852) O. mossambicus (pure form) Tilapia mossambica (Peters 1852) 1. Vertebrae 28-31, mode 30. Sarothredon mossambica (Peters 1852) 2. Fin formula: D XV-XVII 26-29, A III 9-12, (mode 10); Sarotherodon mossambica (Peters 1852) lower gill rakers 14-20 (mode 17,18) Sarotherodon mossambicum (Peters 1852) 3. Pharyngeal teeth very fine in 3-5 series the dentigerous Oreochromis mozambica (Peters 1852) area with narrow lobes, the blade in adults longer than Tilapia mossambica mossambica (Peters 1852) dentigerous area Tilapia mossambicus (Peters 1852) 4. Scales rows on the cheek. 30-32 in lateral line series Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters 1852) (mode 31). 3.5 to 4.5 between origin of dorsal fin and Oreochromis mossambica (Peters 1852) lateral line; 4-6 between pectoral and pelvic fins Chromis niloticus mossambicus (Peters 1852) 5. Caudal fin not densely scaled; truncate with rounded Cromis mossambicus (Peters 1852) corners Tilapia dumerili (Steindachner 1864) 6. Genital papilla of male simple or with a shallow distal Tilapia dumerilii (Steindachner 1864) notch Chromis dumerilii (Steindachner 1864) Chromis vorax (Pfeffer 1893) Size Tilapia vorax (Pfeffer 1893) Maximum total length (TL max) recorded for a number of Sarotherodon mossambicus natalensis (Weber 1897) populations of Mozambique tilapia Chromis natalensis (Weber 1897) Location TL Source Tilapia arnoldi (Gilchrist & Thompson 1917) max (cm) Classification Ross River weirs (1997/8), Townsville, 43.8 Webb, unpubl. data Order Perciformes Qld, Australia Suborder Labroidei Inyamiti pan, KwaZulu, South Africa 43.2 Bruton & Allanson Family Cichlidae 1974 Tribe Tilapiini Ross River weirs (1992) Townsville, Qld, 41.3 Webb, unpubl. data Genus Oreochromis Australia Species mossambicus North Pine Dam, Brisbane, Qld, 41.2* Blühdorn et al. 1990 Australia Appearance Egyptian culture ponds 38.0 Bruton & Allanson "Pure form" (adult): Female and non-breeding male silvery grey to 1974 pale olive with 2-5 mid lateral blotches and some of a more dorsal Curralea Lake (1990), Townsville, Qld, 36.4 Milward & Webb series may be absent in adults. Breeding male typically dark olive to Australia 1990 black with white to yellow lower parts of head (on the operculum, Reservoir, Trinidad 35.6 Hickling 1961 cheek and throat) and red margins to dorsal and caudal fins. Depth of body 36-49.5% of Standard Length (SL). Kiribbanara Reservoir, Sri Lanka 35.5 De Silva 1985 Ross Dam, Townsville-Thuringowa, Qld, 34.5 Webb 2006 "Hybrid form" (adult): Adults tend Australia to have a narrower body with Pimburettewa Reservoir, Sri Lanka 33.0 De Silva 1985 longer extensions to the dorsal and Tingalpa Dam, Brisbane, Qld, Australia 32.6* Blühdorn et al.1990 anal fins than the pure form. Also, Mahagama Reservoir, Sri Lanka 32.0 De Silva 1985 paired fins typically are red with a Cairns, Qld, Australia 31.9* Blühdorn et al. 1990 much wider band of red on the Kaudulla Reservoir, Sri Lanka 28.0 De Silva 1985 caudal fin and a reddish orange tinge to the general body colour. Breeding males with similar dark- Guthries Pond, Cairns, Qld, Australia 26.2* Blühdorn et al. 1990 olive to black colour and yellow on lower head and throat as the Lake Sibaya, KwaZulu, South Africa 26.0 Bruton & Allanson pure form. Depth of body usually <45% of SL. 1974 Yodawewa Reservoir, Sri Lanka 25.0 De Silva 1985 Fry and juveniles of both forms are similar in York Dam, Jamaica 22.0 Hickling 1961 appearance. They are pale olive to si lvery Gascoyne River, WA, Australia 15.4* Blühdorn et al. 199 grey. Fry to about 60mm to 80mm SL have Buffalo Springs, Kenya 10.0 Whitehead 1962 vertical bars with or without mid-lateral blotches, but no horizontal stripes. A clear * SL data converted to TL by formula given by Blühdorn et al. ringed (black) tilapia spot is present on the 1990 rear part of the dorsal fin. In fish approximately >80mm, the tilapia spot Natural & Introduced distribution appears as the intensified lower end of a grey oblique bar which The species is now one of the most widely distributed fish species eventually disappears in the adult. and has been introduced into at least 90 countries including Australia, where it occurs in two states: Western Australia and Queensland, and established in 80 of these (see fig 1). The species was introduced primarily for aquaculture or to establish commercial or recreational fisheries (especially in impoundments), but was also introduced as a biocontrol agent (for mosquito larvae, phytoplankton and aquatic weeds), as a >2< Distribution & Diet World distribution: Figure 1 Natural and introduced range of Mozambique tilapia baitfish and as animal protein for domesticated farm stock. It was because of their ability to efficiently convert a wide range of food introduced initially as an ornamental species into Indonesia and the material into protein. Bowen (1982) reviewed the literature on the USA then provided the basis for aquaculture in these countries. diets of 17 tilapiine species and found that O. mossambicus was Australia is the only country where the species was introduced among the most catholic in its feeding behaviour. While feeding exclusively for the aquarium trade (fig 2).