More Sponsored Links For:
tilapiaColumbia Encyclopedia entry: tilapia
Tilapiatəlä'pēə or St. Peter's fish, a spiny-finned freshwater fish of the family Cichlidae, native chiefly to Africa and the Middle East. Fish of the genera Oreochromis, Sarotherodon, and Tilapia, all commonly known as tilapias, have laterally compressed bodies like those of sunfish, are fast growing, and tolerate brackish water. True tilapias are nest brooders, but species of the other genera incubate their eggs orally; one or both parents carry them in their mouths until (and for a short period after) the young hatch. They are economically important as food fishes, both in their native regions and elsewhere, where they have been introduced or are grown on fish farms. The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) may have been farmed in ancient Egypt, and the most commercially important tilapia of aquaculture are Oreochromis species and their hybrids. Tilapias have a mild-tasting flesh, but the skin has a bitter flavor. Tilapias are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Osteichthyes, order Perciformes, family Cichlidae.
The Columbia Encyclopedia. Copyright © 2001-09 Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
Wikipedia search results for: Tilapia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tilapia is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the Levant and are of increasing importance in aquaculture. Tilapia can become problematic invasive species in new warm-water habitats, whether deliberately or accidentally introduced but generally not in temperate climates due to their inability to survive in cool waters, generally below..
The common name tilapia is based on the name of the cichlid genus...more »
Columbia Encyclopedia search results: tilapia
Results 1 - 1 of 1
- aquaculture
Aquaculture, the raising and harvesting of fresh- and saltwater plants and animals. The most economically important form of aquaculture is fish farming, an industry that accounts for an ever i...
