Species: Coptodon zillii, Redbelly Tilapia

Coptodon zillii (Gervais, 1848)

Redbelly Tilapia

Body an elongate oblong; head wider than body, profile straight, slightly oblique; 1 pair of nostrils; front profile above eyes convex; mouth large, nearly horizontal, top jaw highly protrusible; teeth fine, close set, in several rows on jaws, outer teeth 2-pointed, immovable or nearly so, inner row smaller, multipointed; toothed throat apparatus: lower plate broadly triangular, as wide as long, bottom keel shorter than depth of triangular toothed surface, rear teeth 3-pointed, central teeth not broadened; gill rakers simple, 4-7+ 8-12; one dorsal fin XIII, 10-14, without a notch between spines and rays; anal fin III, 8-10; scales large, smooth, lateral line in 2 straight overlapping sections, 19-22 + 8-12 (28-34) scales; cheek scales in 3-4 rows .

Olive, with a bluey sheen; lips green; body and tail base with 2 stripes crossed by 6-10 irregular dark bars, bases of scales without dark crescent marks; chest pinkish; dorsal, tail and anal fins olivaceus, with yellow spots, dorsal and anal fins with narrow orange outer edges; dorsal fin with a dark blotch surrounded by yellow spots on base of front soft rays in adults and juveniles; tail fin with a grey mesh separating pale blotches; large fish with a large blackish yellow-edged spot on upper rear corner of operculum. Breeding male: body olive green with dark bars; head blue-black with blue-green meshwork of lines; lower head, body and tail base blood red.

Reaches 47 cm.

Fresh and brackish water.

Depth range: 0-5 m.

Central and NW Africa; introduced to our area.