Blackfin Tilapia Natural History
Size
The blackfin tilapia can grow up to 18.5cm long.
Habitat and Distribution
They can be found is just a single lake, which is the freshwater Lake Barombi Mbo in Cameroon. The lake has almost no oxygen below 40m of depth so this species mainly lives near the surface.
Diet
Young blackfin tilapia have a higher protein diet than adults. The young feed on a mixture of insects whilst the adult mainly feed on phytoplankton.
Groups and Breeding
This species forms schools of around 10 adults which they feed and breed in. Pairs will bond before spawning however will not stay pair bonded after this. As they spend their time near the surface, they brood their young in their mouths although eggs are deposited in craters in the sand near the lake edge.
Threats
The IUCN Red List classes this species as Critically Endangered. This species is found in only one lake and this lake is sadly becoming heavily polluted by human activity around it, as well as human activity such as road building by streams and rivers leading in to the lake leading to heavy sedimentation.
The Blackfin Tilapia During Your Day Out in Kent
The blackfin tilapia can be found in our Reptile House sharing an enclosure with our Trinidad stream frogs, alligator snapping turtles and our Leka Keppe.