Jipe tilapia
📖 Overview
Found in lakes and rivers . Chiefly a browser of periphyton in the lake, but additionally feeding also on bottom deposits and associated phytobenthos . A maternal mouthbrooder . Occasionally territorial . It supports artisanal fisheries in lakes and dams across the Pangani catchment, with the largest fisheries in Lake Jipe and Nyumba ya Mungu . IUCN conservation status is critically endangered due to its restricted range and evidence of declining stocks between the 1970s and 2000 .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 17 - 19; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 3 - 4; Anal soft rays: 10 - 12; Vertebrae: 32 - 33. Diagnosis: A large bodied tilapia, with a slender body and small head and mouth; body depth 2.5-2.8 times in standard length . It can be distinguished by following characters: teeth of jaws with slender shafts in young, uniformly slender in adults; pharyngeal teeth very fine and crowded; dentigerous area with rounded lobes and short apex, its median length nearly always less than that of the blade; pectoral fin 34.3-41.2% of standard length, reaching base of anal fin; anal spines III-V . Males and females are characterised by rows of blotched scales across the flanks; males have a pale blue head with dark spots, dark fins with pale spots, and orange margins to the dorsal and caudal; females and non-territorial males plainer and typically paler, and in some populations there is a more olive/yellow gular and ventral region . Caudal fin long with very definite vertical black or dark brown stripes . : short and / or deep; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Jipe tilapia is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
A maternal mouthbrooder . Breeding pits consist of a central pit surrounded by two or three series of smaller pits .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical distributed to several ponds and dams in Tanzania (Ref.
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Jipe tilapia is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Detailed nutritional data for Jipe tilapia is currently being compiled from USDA FoodData Central.
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Jipe tilapia has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🔬 Full Nutritional Profile
Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (generic fish average)
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oreochromis pangani | Lowe | 1955 | Synonym |
| Oreochromis pangani girigan | Lowe | 1955 | Synonym |
| Oreochromis pangani pangani | Lowe | 1955 | Synonym |
| Sarotherodon girigan | Lowe | 1955 | Synonym |
| Sarotherodon jipe | Lowe | 1955 | Synonym |
| Sarotherodon pangani | Lowe | 1955 | Synonym |
| Tilapia girigan | Lowe | 1955 | Synonym |
| Tilapia jipe | Lowe | 1955 | Synonym |
| Tilapia pangani | Lowe | 1955 | Synonym |
🦠 Common Diseases
The following diseases are known to affect Jipe tilapia.
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 2 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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