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| NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species |
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Common Name: zebra tilapia
Synonyms and Other Names: zebra cichlid
Taxonomy: available through 
Size: 30.8 cm SL
Native Range:
Western Africa: Lower reaches of coastal rivers from Guinea-Bissau (Geba and Corubal Rivers) to west Liberia (St. John River) (FishBase).
Nonindigenous Occurrences: A single large fish, identified by two independent experts, was collected from the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg, in Virginia in July 2000 (W. Wieland, personal communication). This is the first report of this species in the country. A second fish was collected from a park in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2004 (Guerin 2004).
Ecology: Prefers freshwater lakes and ponds, typically tropical. Male-female pairs cooperatively excavate a depression or pit in the sediment until they reach a solid substrate.
Means of Introduction: Both specimens were probably the result of an aquarium release.
Status: Reported in Virginia and Michigan.
Impact of Introduction: Unknown. Due to temperature constraints, it is unlikely this tropical species would establish in the Mid-Atlantic or Great Lakes regions.
Remarks: Although one expert informs us that they are illegal in Florida, he also observed them in 1999 for sale at a pet shop in South Florida.
Guerin, M. 2004. Strange Fish Identification The Jump [online]. http://www.thejump.net
Werner Wieland, Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg, VA
Other Resources:
FishBase
FishBase Fact Sheet
Author: Pam Fuller
Revision Date: 4/27/2005 Citation for this information:
Pam Fuller. 2009. Tilapia buttikoferi. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
<http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=481> Revision Date: 4/27/2005
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