Hornet Tilapia (Tilapia buttikoferi) Care Guide
Tilapia buttikoferi is a large striped West African cichlid reaching about 30 cm, an aggressive substrate spawner needing a very large tank with robust tankmates.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Tilapia buttikoferi, the hornet or zebra tilapia, is a large West African cichlid that reaches about 30.8 cm in standard length. The body is yellow or white with broad black vertical bars whose intensity shifts with the fish's mood; the stripes tend to fade with age. It is also placed in the genus Heterotilapia as Heterotilapia buttikoferi.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Tilapia
- Scientific name: Tilapia buttikoferi
- Common synonym: Heterotilapia buttikoferi
Habitat
According to FishBase and Wikipedia, the species is native to larger river systems in tropical West Africa, from Guinea-Bissau (Geba and Corubal rivers) to western Liberia (St John River), favouring rocky substrates rather than small creeks. It has been introduced beyond its native range and is recorded as an alien species in Thai reservoirs.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 500 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 6.0-8.0
- GH: 2-20 °dGH
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
Diet
The species is an omnivore with a herbivorous leaning. In the aquarium it takes a varied diet with substantial vegetable content alongside prepared and frozen foods, fed twice daily. Live plants are typically eaten.
Compatibility
This is a highly aggressive cichlid that holds very large territories. It is suitable only for spacious tanks with the largest, most robust West African companions, and should not be combined with Rift Lake mbuna, hard-water cichlids or smaller fish. It is not safe with plants.
Breeding
FishBase describes the species as a biparental open-substratum spawner that holds very large territories and may spawn year-round, with both parents guarding eggs and fry.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 16 January 2020).
Breeding Tilapia buttikoferi (Hornet Tilapia)
Overview
Tilapia buttikoferi (also placed in Heterotilapia) is a large striped West African cichlid from the lower reaches of coastal rivers from Guinea-Bissau to western Liberia, reaching about 30.8 cm SL (FishBase, Wikipedia). According to FishBase it is a pair-bonding, biparental, open-substratum spawner that holds very large territories and may spawn throughout the year. Its size and aggression make it a project for large, robust aquaria only.
Conditioning
FishBase records this species at 23-25 °C and pH 6.5-7.0 in its rocky river habitats. Adults occur in larger rivers with rocky substrates. Condition mature, robust adults on a varied omnivorous diet; the species' large adult size means breeders are correspondingly large fish.
Breeding Setup
Because pairs hold very large territories (FishBase), an open-substratum spawner of this size requires a spacious tank with a firm flat surface such as rock or slate for egg deposition. The body colour can shift from very light to near black depending on mood, often intensifying around spawning and territorial defence (Wikipedia).
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
As a biparental open-substratum spawner, the pair cleans a flat surface and lays eggs in the open. Both parents guard the brood and defend a large territory; spawning may occur throughout the year (FishBase). In biparental substrate cichlids the female commonly tends and fans the eggs while the male patrols and repels intruders.
Egg & Fry Care
Eggs are laid on the cleaned open substrate and guarded by both parents. After hatching the fry are kept together and defended by the pair. Given the territorial intensity of this species, the parents vigorously exclude other tankmates from the breeding area.
Common Challenges
The dominant challenges are space and aggression: the species needs very large territories and is highly territorial when breeding, so unsuitable tankmates are at serious risk. The large adult size also demands strong filtration and frequent maintenance to support the high bioload.