Black Tilapia

Silvery to steel-grey, whitish below. Breeding males are very dark grey on head and body with throat and all fins black; with a red or orange margin on the dorsal and grey or black marblings on the gill-cover.

Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 18; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 13; Analspines: 4; Analsoft rays: 8 - 11; Vertebrae: 29 - 31

Prefers quiet pools with marginal vegetation. Has been reported only from fresh water and low altitudes and latitudes, so that its salinity and temperature tolerances are probably narrower than those of O. mossambicus (Ref. 2).

fisheries: commercial