Spotted Tilapia (Tilapia mariae) Care Guide
Tilapia mariae is a robust West African tilapia reaching about 30 cm, a substrate spawner that is invasive outside its range and needs a very large tank.
Overview
Tilapia mariae, the spotted tilapia, is a robust West and Central African cichlid reaching about 32.3 cm in standard length. It is dark olive-green to light yellowish with eight or nine dark bars and two to six dark spots between the bars along the midline. The species is also placed in the genus Pelmatolapia as Pelmatolapia mariae.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Tilapia
- Scientific name: Tilapia mariae
- Common synonym: Pelmatolapia mariae
Habitat
According to FishBase and Wikipedia, the species occurs in fresh and brackish waters of West and Central Africa, from the Tabou River in Côte d'Ivoire to the Kribi River in Cameroon, in rocky or mud-bottomed rivers, warm springs and canals. Introduced populations are established in Florida and Australia, where it can dominate local fish biomass.
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
FishBase reports a herbivorous preference, feeding on algae, higher plants and plant parts, but also accepting insects and shrimps. In the aquarium it takes a varied diet with strong vegetable content, fed twice daily; live plants are usually eaten.
Compatibility
This is an aggressive cichlid, especially when breeding. It is suitable only for large tanks with robust West African companions and should not be combined with Rift Lake mbuna, hard-water cichlids, dwarf cichlids or small fish.
Breeding
Tilapia mariae is a pair-bonding substrate brooder. FishBase reports clutches of roughly 600-3300 eggs per female; eggs hatch in one to three days and the parents guard the fry until they reach 2.5-3.0 cm.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 16 October 2019).