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Scientific Name: Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters, 1852)
English Name: Mozambique tilapia
Local/Bangla Name: Telapia (তেলাপিয়া), Nailotika (নাইলোটিকা)
Bonyfish : Oreochromis mossambicus

Photo: Ramani Shirantha (Fishbase)

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Teleostei
Order: Cichliformes
Family: Cichlidae
Description:
Dorsal spines (total): 15 – 18; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 – 12; Vertebrae: 28 – 31. Diagnosis: snout long; forehead with relatively large scales, starting with 2 scales between the eyes followed by 9 scales up to the dorsal fin (Ref. 3058, 3060). Adult males develop a pointed, duckbill-like snout (Ref. 52307) due to enlarged jaws, often causing the upper profile to become concave (Ref. 2, 7248, 12524, 13337, 52307), but upper profile convex in smaller specimens (Ref. 1870, 6460). Pharyngeal teeth very fine, the dentigerous area with narrow lobes, the blade in adults longer than dentigerous area; 28-31 vertebrae; 3 anal spines; 14-20 lower gill-rakers; genital papilla of males simple or with a shallow distal notch; caudal fin not densely scaled; female and non-breeding male silvery with 2-5 mid-lateral blotches and some of a more dorsal series; breeding male black with white lower parts of head and red margins to dorsal and caudal fins
Habitat & Distribution in Bangladesh:
Inhabits reservoirs, rivers, creeks, drains, swamps and tidal creeks; commonly over mud bottoms, often in well-vegetated areas.
Environment:
Freshwater, Brackish (Benthopelagic; amphidromous)
Comments:
It is an exotic fish in Bangladesh. It hasbeen brought from Thailand (1954) for the purpose of insect control, malaria eradication and aquaculture.
Main References:

Siddiqui KU, Islam MA, Kabir SMH, Ahmad M, Ahmed ATA, Rahman AKA 2005 Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh, 2nd ed., Zool. Soc. Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh, xviii + 394 pp. AKA, Haque EU, Ahmed ZU, Begum ZNT, Hassan MA, Khondker M, Rahman AKA 2005 Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh, 2nd ed., Zool. Soc. Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh, xviii + 394 pp. MM (eds.) 2007 Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, Vol. 23. Freshwater Fishes. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka 300 pp.

Other References:

DoF Bangladesh (2023) Album: Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Bangladesh, Dhaka. 200 pp.

DNA Barcodes from Bangladesh
GenBank Accession Number:
Other DNA Barcodes & Nucleutide Sequences
Global IUCN conservation status:
Other Information