Tilapia sparrmanii
| Tilapia sparrmanii | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Banded tilapia from Lake Chilingali, Malawi | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Genus: | Tilapia |
| Species: | T. sparrmanii |
| Binomial name | |
| Tilapia sparrmanii A. Smith, 1840 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Tilapia sparrmanii, the Banded tilapia, or Vlei kurper, is a widespread and adaptable fish that is found in the warmer waters of southern Africa. They prefer water with ample plant cover, and occur naturally as far north as Namibia, Angola, Botswana and Tanzania. They have been introduced locally in the northern hemisphere. Younger Banded tilapia feed on crustaceans and insect larvae, while the adults feed on terrestrial and aquatic plants and other debris. They undertake local migrations and may shoal before and during spawning time. They guard their own eggs, and may be mouth breeders like several other Tilapia species. This species can reach a length of 23.5 centimetres (9.3 in) TL and is an important foodfish.[2]
References
- ↑ Kazembe, J., Marshall, B., Moelants, T. & Tweddle, D. 2010. Tilapia sparrmanii. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 June 2013.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). "Tilapia sparrmanii" in FishBase. April 2013 version.
External links
- Supposed occurrence in Lake Malawi, Malawicichlids.com
- Banded Tilapia / Vlei Kurper (Tilapia sparrmanii), Favisa
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