Breeding Tilapia mariae (Spotted Tilapia)

Tilapia mariae is a monogamous, biparental open-substrate brooder. Females lay up to ~2000 eggs that hatch in 1-3 days; both parents guard fry until they reach 2.5-3 cm.

Overview

Tilapia mariae (also placed in Pelmatolapia) is a robust West and Central African cichlid found in coastal lagoons and lower river courses from the Tabou River to the Kribi River, reaching about 32.3 cm SL (FishBase). It is a pair-bonding, monogamous, open-substrate brooder in which both parents guard the brood (FishBase, Wikipedia). The species is also notable as an invasive fish where introduced.

Sexing

Sexual maturity is reached at roughly 10-15 cm length (FishBase). Reliable visual sexing of mature fish is best confirmed near spawning, when females prepare the nest site.

Conditioning

FishBase records the species at 20-25 °C, pH 6.0-8.0 and 5-19 dH, in still or flowing waters over rocky or mud bottoms. Breeding occurs year-round with peaks reported around November, March-April and July-September (Wikipedia). Condition adults on a varied omnivorous diet.

Breeding Setup

Provide submerged logs, rocks or other firm surfaces, since eggs are typically deposited on submerged logs, rocks or plants (Wikipedia). The female prepares the nesting site by clearing rocky substrate. Adequate space is needed for the pair to establish and defend a territory.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

These are monogamous fish engaging in biparental care. The female tends the embryos while the male initially stays a short distance away; once the offspring are a few days old the male becomes active in predator defence while the female guards ahead (Wikipedia). A female can lay up to around 1800-2000 eggs (Wikipedia, FishBase).

Egg & Fry Care

Eggs hatch in roughly 1-3 days, after which larvae need a further 6-8 days to develop before swimming freely (FishBase). Parental care continues until the fry reach about 2.5-3.0 cm (FishBase, Wikipedia). Both parents guard the swarm throughout this period.

Common Challenges

Breeding aggression and large adult size require spacious, robustly stocked tanks. The species' very high fecundity also raises grow-out demands. Because it is invasive where introduced, surplus fish must never be released into the wild.