Tilapia buttikoferi

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Zebra Tilapia

A Zebra Tilapia in an aquarium

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Genus:	Tilapia
Species:	T. buttikoferi

Binomial name

Tilapia buttikoferi
Hubrecht, 1881

Tilapia buttikoferi is an African tilapiine cichlid fish that can be found mainly in West Africa, more specifically Liberia. They are freshwater fish that tend to live in rivers and streams. People have imported and bred these fish throughout the world for both aquatic and nutritious purposes. One spawn can supply an entire city, so breeding these fish is an easy process.

The tilapia is a beautiful specimen. The fish is typically yellow or white with black stripes and can vary from very light to near black depending on its location. Lateral lines are very apparent in older Cichlids, and their stripes tend to fade with age. Its stripes give it varying names (tiger, zebra, hornet, etc.) - most often ist is called zebra tilapia. It is a large cichlid, capable of growing up to 40 cm (15 inches).

Buttikoferis are extremely intelligent and aggressive aquarium fish. Many owners of these fish love them because they are very active and react to movements outside of the aquarium. It would not be advised to put another fish in a tank with a tilapia. They are killer fish who do not get along well with others unless they are in very large tanks (bigger than 100 gallons). Tilapia are generally not picky about their environment. They prefer tanks of at least 55 gallons, and temperatures of about 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. They love all foods, and need frequent water changes because they are such big eaters. When placed in an aquarium with small gravel at the bottom, they will repeatedly grab a mouthful and spit it out on the other side, forming a hill.