Species
From
Date
Place
Reference
1
Tilapia mossambicus
Transvaal
1936
Malmesbury
IFD* Report nr.1 1944, p. 26
2
Tilapia nigra
Kenya
1942
Jonkershoek
IFD* Report nr.1 1944, p. 27
3
Tilapia kafuensis
Zimbabwe
1942
Jonkershoek
IFD* Report nr.1 1944, p. 27
4
(via Pretoria)
1942
Jonkershoek
IFD* Report nr.1 1944, p. 27
5
Serranochromis thumbergii
(Canary Kurper)
Tilapia kafuensis
Zimbabwe
1946
Jonkershoek
IFD* Report nr.3 1946, p. 42
6
Tilapia andersonii
Zimbabwe
1948
Jonkershoek
IFD* Report nr.5 1948, p.38
7
Tilapia melanopleura
1950
Jonkershoek
IFD* Report nr.7 1950, p. 18
8
Tilapia macrochir
1950
Jonkershoek
IFD* Report nr.7 1950, p. 18
9
Tilapia sparrmanii
1950
IFD* Report nr.7 1950, p. 26
10
Serranochromis
thumberghi
Tilapia nilotica
1950
Elsenburg Dams,
Muldersvlei
Jonkershoek
1966
Faure
Dep. of Nature Conservation, Investigation Report nr. 7, 1966, p.9
11
Israel
IFD* Preliminary Report 1950, p.13
Table 1: Historic Importations of Exotic Tilapia Species to the Western Cape, South Africa.
*IFD – Inland Fisheries Department, Provincial Administration of the Cape of Good Hope, Union of South Africa.
Oreochromis mossambicus
even fewer are of aquacultural
significance. Commercially important tilapia are currently divided into three major taxonomic
groups, according to Trewavas
(1982, 1983), based largely on
reproductive characteristics. All are
nest builders and substrate spawners, except in the following instances:
Tilapia spp. Guard the developing eggs and fry in the nest.
Oreochromis spp. females incubates eggs and fry orally.
Sarotherodon spp. males and/
or females incubate eggs and
fry orally.
The ongoing state of taxonomic
flux means that scientific names in
various literature sources differ.
Tilapia busy Feeding
Consequently, for example, the
important aqua cultural species,
the Nile tilapia, now reported as
Oreochromis niloticus, was called
Sarotherodon niloticus in the literature of the late 1970s and early
1980s, and prior to that, Tilapia
nilotica.
Species Selection:
This is a controversial subject in
South Africa and has been for
some time. Oreochromis mossambicus is the only species being
farmed legally in South Africa. Further north in Zimbabwe and Zambia most aquaculture enterprises
are using imported stock of O.
niloticus or hybrids of this species.
Hybrids that have been the subject
of growth rate trials grow as fast
as their parent species or even
Red Oreochromis mossambicus
Oreochromis niloticus
Red Oreochromis niloticus
Tilapia Feed
Oreochromis aureus