Biology and Introduction

TILAPIA in the
Philippines

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources - National Freshwater Fisheries

Technology Center (BFAR-NFFTC)
CLSU Cmpd., Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija
E-mail: nfftc@yahoo.com or bfar.nfftc.tans@gmail.com
Telefax: (044) 456 0670
TAXONOMY
 Taxonomy
“Tilapia” is a generic name for group of Cichlids endemic to
Africa (Popma and Masser, 1999)
Taxonomical Classification of Tilapia
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Familly: Cichlidae
3 important Genera
1) Tilapia
2) Sarotherodon
3) Oreochromis

608 pages. London: British Museum (Natural History) 

ISBN-10 : 0-565-00878-1
Fish Identification: Find Species
www.fishbase.org
Genus Tilapia

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Genus Tilapia

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Genus Sarotherodon

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Genus Sarotherodon

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Genus Oreochromis

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Genus Oreochromis

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Genus Oreochromis

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Genus Oreochromis

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Among the 52 species of Tilapia

7 Genus Tilapia
13 Genus Sarotherodon
32 Genus Oreochromis
Taxonomic Classification
Mode of reproduction

Substrate spawner or Mouthbrooder

nest guarder
Bi-parental or Maternal
paternal

Tilapia Genus Sarotherodon Oreochromis

Genus Genus

 T. sparrmanii  S.  O. niloticus
melanotheron  O. aureus
 S. galilaeus  O.
mossambicus
 O. spilurus
Substrate spawner
Characteristics:
• Female – Care
• Male – guard
• Monogamy
Mouth brooder
Characteristic:
Polygamy
Male – establish nest
Female – oral
incubation
 PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS
 Physical Characteristics
• Tilapia are shaped much like sunfish by can
easily identified by interrupted lateral line
(characteristic of Cichlid family).
• Laterally compressed and deep-bodied with
long dorsal fins.
• Forward portion of the dorsal fin is heavily
spined (16-17 spines and 11-15 soft rays).
• Spines are also found in pelvic and anal fins.
• Different banding patterns on the caudal fin.
• Color patterns on the body and fins may
distinguish the species.
Popma, T. and M. Masser. 1999. Tilapia Life History and Biology. Southern Regional Aquaculture
Center Publication No. 283
 Parts of Tilapia
Dorsal Fin
Caudal Peduncle
Lateral line

Caudal Fin
Operculum

Pectoral Fin

Anal Fin
Pelvic Fin

Genital papilla
Introduction of Tilapia in
the Philippines
Introduction of Tilapia in the Philippines
Species Year Origin
O. mossambicus 1950 Thailand

O. hornorum x O. mossambicus 1971 Singapore

O. niloticus (Uganda) 1972 Israel

O. niloticus (Egypt) 1972 Thailand

T. Zillii 1973 Taiwan

O. aureus 1977 U.S.A.

O. niloticus (Ghana) 1977 Israel

O. niloticus (Ghana) 1977 Singapore

O. aureus (Israel) 1977 Singapore

O. aureus (Ghana) 1978 Singapore

Red Tilapia (Hybrid) 1979 Taiwan

Red Tilapia 1981 Taiwan

 Introduction of Tilapia in the Philippines
Species Year Origin
O. aureus 1982 Israel
O. niloticus (Ghana) 1982 Israel
Red Tilapia 1982 Taiwan
O. niloticus 1987 Thailand
O. niloticus 1988 Egypt
O. niloticus 1988 Ghana
O. niloticus 1988 Senegal
O. niloticus 1989 Kenya

O. hornorum 1990 Florida

O. niloticus 1992 Egypt
O. spilurus 1998 Kuwait
S. melanotheron 2000 ?
O. aureus hybrid 2005 Taiwan
O. niloticus (Uganda) 2017 Uganda
Introduction of Tilapia in the Philippines

Introduction of O. mossambicus

How many fish were given to Dr. Villadolid?

12 pcs. (3 mortalities)
 Oreochromis mossambicus
(African mouth brooder, Red-fin tilapia, Mozambique tilapia)

Origin: Thailand

Red margins on dorsal and caudal fins; rounded

caudal fin.
 Oreochromis niloticus
(Nile tilapia, Pla-Pla, Giant tilapia, Meztiso, Kinabasi)
Year introduced: 1972 Origin: Egypt, Thailand

Presence of strong vertical stripes on the

caudal fin.
 Oreochromis aureus
(Blue tilapia)

Year introduced:
1977
Origin: USA

Bluish background color, Caudal fin have

interrupted bands
 Red Tilapia
Mutants of O. niloticus, O. mossambicus and O. aureus
“locally known as Gintong biyaya and King fish”
Year introduced: 1979 Origin: Taiwan

Popular because of the resemblance to Marine

Red Snapper (high market value)
 Oreochromis hornorum
(Wami tilapia)

Year introduced: 1990

Used for hybridization with O. niloticus and O.

mossambicus to produce all male tilapia
 Oreochromis spilurus
(Sabaki Tilapia)
Year introduced: 1998 Origin: Kuwait

Yellowish-blue background color with a series of

mid-lateral blotches
 Sarotherodon melanotheron
(Black-chin tilapia)

Year introduced: 2000

- Aquarium fish
- Feral species found in Laguna de Bay, Manila
Bay, Laguna, Bulacan, Bataan and Pangasinan
 Difference Between Species

Cold Tolerant Heat Tolerant

O. mossambicus
O. aureus

O. niloticus
 Difference Between Species
Based from the experimental and field observations: Salinity tolerance

O. mossambicus O. spilurus

O. aureus
Sex Differentiation for tilapia
1 2 3

1. anus
♀ 2. Genital pore
3. Urinary pore

♂ 1. anus
2. Urogenital pore

1 2
Sex Identification
Male and female gonad viewed under the microscope

Squashed
male gonad

Squashed female gonad

 NATURAL SPAWNING

Males defend their nets. Male cleans and build a nest

and attract female to spawn
 NATURAL SPAWNING

Male performing courtship display to attract a

female into his nest for mating
 NATURAL SPAWNING

Mating pair of Oreochromis niloticus. A female lays

her eggs while the male stands ready to fertilize them
 NATURAL SPAWNING

After the male fertilizes the eggs, the female picks

them up with her mouth for incubation.
 NATURAL SPAWNING

A female incubates eggs in her mouth. They will

hatch in 3 to 5 days. The distended throat or buccal
cavity where eggs are incubate.
 NATURAL SPAWNING

female guards her young for 5 to 7 days. They hide in

her mouth when danger threatens.
Oreochromis’ Nests
Natural Reproductive Cycle of Oreochromis spp.
I.I. NEST
NEST BUILDING
BUILDING &
& II.
II. OVULATION & SPAWNING
OVULATION & SPAWNING
COURTSHIP
COURTSHIP (<2
(<2 hours)
hours)
(1-5
(1-5 days)
days) Spawned
Spawned female
female
leaves nests
leaves lek
lek
re-entry
re-entry of of
recovered
recovered mature oocytes
mature eggs
oocytes III.
III. INCUBATION
INCUBATION
female
female (6-10
(6-10 days)*holding
days)*holding of eggs
of seed
seed
into nests
into lek
lek V. FEEDING & RECOVERY
V FEEDING & RECOVERYin
in the
the mouth
mouth continuously
continuously
(14
(14 -30
-30 days)
days)
Development
Development
of
of ovary
ovary after
after
incubation
incubation
IV.
IV. NURSERY
NURSERY
Speed
Speed ofof ovarian
ovarian (10-30
(10-30 days)
days)
development
development varies
varies eggs
1100 oocytes
oocytes
continued
continued maternal
maternal
with
with period
period ofof maternal
maternal dependency;
dependency; fry
fry and
and
dependency
dependency and and food
food mother
mother begin
begin to
to feed
feed
availability
availability
boundary
boundary of nests
of lek
lek
incubation
incubation period is TT00 C
period is C dependent
dependent
Adapted from AIT Hand-out “The Nile Tilapia: Techniques for mass Fingerling Production and Grow-out,
1992.
 Relationship between the Number of Eggs Laid with
the size of the Female Tilapia
1000
900
800
Weight of Female (g)

700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Number of eggs: 7-8 eggs per gram weight of female breeder (IE2016)

Hepher and Fruginin, 1981

Directly Proportional
Development of O. niloticus at 28oC
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

2-3 hrs. 14-30 hrs. 30-48 hrs. 3 days

Stage 5 Stage 6 Stage 7

3.75 - 5 days 5-6 days 9-12 days

 LIFE CYCLE

Post Fry (10-14 days)

Fingerling (2-4 weeks)

Egg and yolk

sack fry
(0-9 days) Juvenile (1mo.-2mos.)

Adult (3-4mos.)
 Feeding Habits
• Omnivores
• Feed on variety of
phytoplankton and zooplankton
 
• Has firm pharyngeal teeth set on
triangular blade (used for
shredding coarser materials)
Types of Commercial Feeds
Fry Mash or Rice Bran Starter Grower-Finisher
(Fry & Fingerlings) (Juvenile) (Adult)
 Feeding Habits
Has a short esophagus leading to small intestine
that helps in the absorption of nutrients.

O. niloticus has an
intestine length between
5 to 8 times its body
length. 
 Environmental Requirement
for Oreochromis niloticus
Parameter Level Remarks
Temperature (C) 28 - 32 Optimum for growth and
reproduction

Dissolve Oxygen (ppm) 5 Minimum for optimum growth

Salinity (ppt) 10 - 15 Maximum range for growth

pH 6.5 – 9.0 Optimum for primary production

(growth of phytoplankton)
Total ammonia (mg/l) 0.02 – 0.05 0.08 mg/l unionized ammonia can
cause decreased food consumption
of fish
Plankton Turbidity (cm) 30 – 35 Ideal range
Effect on different level of Temperature
for Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus
Level Effect

Above 37oC Increasing mortalities are likely to occur

Above 35oC Food intake decreases Handling is not recommended.

Below 20oC Growth and reproduction are impaired

10-15oC Stop feeding

Often develop fungal and bacterial infection resulting to
high mortalities.
 Effects of pH on warmwater pond fish. Swingle (1969)
Effects of dissolved oxygen on warmwater pond fish. Swingle (1969)
 Growth of Tilapia
• Depends on:
1. good aquaculture practices ( G Aq P )
2. water quality – presence of natural food
3. good quality strain
4. stocking rates
5. good quality feeds (food supply)

 Male grow faster (10-20%)

SALAMAT PO
GILL RAKERS