Freshwater
Blue spotted tilapia
Oreochromis leucostictus
Cichlidae, Pseudocrenilabrinae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 36.3 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 1,149 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
NativeIntroduced
Lives wild in Congo - Kinshasa and Uganda.
Introduced to Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania.
More about the species
Description
Occupies an inshore zone and is common in lagoons. Occasionally forms schools. Is mainly diurnal. Can tolerate considerable deoxygenation and warm temperatures, known to occur at 38.0 °C. Feeds on phytoplankton and detritus. Ovophilic, a maternal mouthbrooder. Males dig simple pits in shallow water. Strongly prone to precocious maturity; this makes it an undesirable aquaculture species. Caught in large numbers by small-meshed nets in shallow swampy areas, where it has become established. When stocked along with Nile tilapia, probably will assist in filling all suitable niches and competitively excluding native species.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Oreochromis leucostrictus
- Sarotherodon leucosticta
- Sarotherodon leucostictum
- Sarotherodon leucostictus
- Tilapia leucostica
- Tilapia leucosticta
In other languages
- Valkotäplätilapia
Articles
All articles
How to set up an African aquarium5 min read
Two completely different aquariums: forest rivers with soft, brown water, roots and leaves, and Rift Valley lake cichlids in hard, alkaline water with big rock piles.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.
Ich (white spot)4 min read
The most common disease in aquarium fish. How to recognize it, why it shows up, and how to get rid of it.