Blue Tilapia
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Scientific Name: |
Oreochromis aurea |
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Common Names: |
blue tilapia |
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Description: |
Dark grey with a blue tint on the topside fading to white on the underside. Has red or orange on the border of the dorsal fin and red or pink on the caudal fin. |
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Location: |
Introduced from Africa into central and south Florida |
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Size: |
Known to reach sizes of 10 lbs or more. |
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Spawning: |
Spawns when water temps reach 68 to 72 degrees. Males will dig a hole in shallow water. It will then court a female to lay eggs in it. The male then fertilizes the eggs, afterwhich, the female takes back in her mouth and swims off with them. |
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Prey: |
Feed mostly on diatoms, green algae, and detritus. |
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Fishing notes: |
Can be hooked using small bread balls or processed foods like dog food and pieces of hot dog. |
(c) 2001 TL McDonald - All Rights Reserved