Lake Rukwa tilapia

Taxonomy

The Lake Rukwa tilapia was first described by Franz Martin Hilgendorf and Paul Pappenheim in 1903. It is classified in the family Cichlidae (ciclids) in the class Actinopterygii. It has been referred to by several synonyms, including Tilapia nilotica rukwaensis, Sarotherodon rukwaensis, and Tilapia rukwaensis.

Description

The fish is silver-gray in color with a bluish snout and 6–7 vertical stripes past the operculum that are often only visible when freshly caught. Mating males are darker, almost black, with dorsal and caudal fins marked with red or orange at the margins. The dorsal fin has 15–17 spines and 11–13 soft rays; the anal fin has three spines and 10–11 soft rays. It is a deep-bodied fish with a small head. It has a maximum length of 33 cm in standard length.

Ecology

This species is only found in the Lake Rukwa drainage basin, in both lakes and rivers, primarily in Tanzania. It is an important target of commercial fishing. It is assessed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List; its population is declining due to overfishing, urban waste water pollution, and agricultural runoff; the species also faces habitat fragmentation.

Reproduction

Males of the species build a raised platform, surrounded by a circular depression, in shallow water to serve as their mating territory. The females are mouthbrooders.

References

References

1. Bayona, J.D.R.. (2006). "''Oreochromis rukwaensis''".
2. "Oreochromis rukwaensis (Hilgendorf & Pappenheim, 1903)".
3. {{FishBase. (2013)
4. "Oreochromis rukwaensis (Hilgendorf & Pappenheim, 1903)".