Tilapia sparrmanii
| Tilapia sparrmanii | |
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| Banded tilapia from Lake Chilingali, Malawi | |
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| Species: | T. sparrmanii
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| Binomial name | |
| Tilapia sparrmanii A. Smith, 1840
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Tilapia sparrmanii, the banded tilapia, or vlei kurper, is a widespread and adaptable cichlid fish that is found in warmer freshwater habitats of southern Africa. They prefer water with ample plant cover, and occur naturally as far north as DR Congo and Tanzania.[1][2] 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 although they may move eggs or fry in the mouth, they are not known to be actual mouthbrooders 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
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer; 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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