Home/Species/ Blue Tilapia

Oreochromis aureus

(Steindachner, 1864)

Blue Tilapia

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103127

Element CodeAFCQJ04010

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassActinopterygii

OrderCichliformes

FamilyCichlidae

GenusOreochromis

Synonyms

Tilapia aurea(Steindachner, 1864)

Concept Reference

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.

Taxonomic Comments

Has been confused with Tilapia nilotica in much of the literature (Lee et al. 1980). Formerly known as Tilapia aurea.

Conservation Status

Review Date2004-01-05

Change Date1996-09-25

Edition Date2004-01-05

Range Extent Comments

Native to tropical and subtropical Africa and Middle East (Fuller et al. 1999). Now more widely distributed across Africa. Established in parts of Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, and Texas; possibly established in Colorado, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania; reported from Alabama, Georgia, and Kansas (Fuller et al. 1999).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Warm ponds and impoundments, including power plant cooling reservoirs; tidal creeks. Able to live and reproduce in fresh and brackish water. Lower temperature tolerance is about 13 C, but can tolerate 5 C for brief periods in freshwater. Annually stocked in ponds and lakes in Alabama.

Reproduction

Maternal mouthbrooder. Requires water temperature of 20 C for spawning.

Other Nations (1)

United StatesNNA

Province	Rank	Native
North Carolina	SNA	No
Idaho	SNA	No
New Mexico	SNA	No
Georgia	SNA	No
Texas	SNA	No
Alabama	SNA	No
Arkansas	SNA	No
Arizona	SNA	No
Oklahoma	SNA	No
Florida	SNA	No
California	SNA	No
South Carolina	SNA	No

Roadless Areas (1)

Florida (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Alexander Springs Creek	Ocala National Forest	2,954

References (11)

Courtenay, W. R., Jr., and J. R. Stauffer, Jr., eds. 1984. Distribution, biology, and management of exotic fishes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. xiv + 430 pp.
Fuller, P. L., L. G. Nico, and J. D. Williams. 1999. Nonindigenous fishes introduced into inland waters of the United States. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 27. x + 613 pp.
Hales, L. S., Jr. 1991. Occurrence of an introduced African cichlid, the blue tilapia, TILAPIA AUREA, in a tidal creek of the Skidaway River, Georgia. Brimleyana 17:27-35.
Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina. i-x + 854 pp.
Moyle, P. B. 2002. Inland fishes of California. Revised and expanded. University of California Press, Berkeley. xv + 502 pp.
Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. 386 pp.
Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.
Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 2011. Peterson field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. xix + 663 pp.
Page, L. M., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, R. L. Mayden, and J. S. Nelson. 2013. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Seventh edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34, Bethesda, Maryland.
Page, L. M., K. E. Bemis, T. E. Dowling, H.S. Espinosa-Pérez, L.T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, K. E. Hartel, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, M. A. Neigbors, J. J. Schmitter-Soto, and H. J. Walker, Jr. 2023. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eighth edition. American Fisheries Society (AFS), Special Publication 37, Bethesda, Maryland, 439 pp.
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.