The blackchin tilapia (Sarotherodon melanotheron) is a species of cichlid native to coastal west Africa. It is a paternal mouthbrooder which has been introduced to Asia and North America.
In the Philippines, it is also informally called gloria or tilapiang arroyo after former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo because of its small size and mole-like dark pigmentation under its lower jaw, resembling that of the short stature and mole on the former president's left cheek.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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AlgivoreAn algivore is a common name for many bottom-dwelling or algae-eating species that feed on algae.
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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PlanktivoreA planktivore is an aquatic organism that feeds on planktonic food, including zooplankton and phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are usually photosynthet...
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DetritivoreDetritivores (also known as detrivores, detritophages, detritus feeders, or detritus eaters) are organisms that obtain nutrients by consuming detri...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PolyandryPolygyny is a mating system in which one female lives and mates with multiple males but each male only mates with a single female.
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withThe blackchin tilapia, is pale in colour, that colour varying in shades including light blue, orange and golden yellow which normally has dark patches on the chin of adults. It also normally has dark colouration on the posterior edge of the gill and on the tips of the soft rays of the dorsal fin. The body is typically marked with irregular bars, spots or splotches. It has a small mouth which is equipped with as many as a few hundred tiny teeth which are arranged in 3-6 rows. They display minimal sexual dimorphism with the heads of adult males usually being slightly larger than the heads of females, some males may also show gold tinting on the operculum. The dorsal fin has 15 - 17 spines and 10-12 soft rays, the anal fin has 3 spines and 8-10 soft rays and the length of caudal peduncle is equal to 0.6-0.9 times its depth. It can grow to a maximum length of 28 centimetres (11 in) but more normally attains 17.5 centimetres (6.9 in).
The blackchin tilapia is native to western Africa from Mauritania to Cameroon. It has been introduced to several countries in Asia, USA and Europe. It has also become an invasive species in Florida, Thailand, and the Philippines.
The blackchin tilapia is able to tolerate high salinities and it can be found abundantly in mangrove areas and is able to move into freshwaters, such as the lower reaches of streams, and in to salt waters. In West Africa, it is restricted to brackish lagoons and estuaries, and is abundant in the mangroves. It forms schools and it is largely nocturnal, although it will feed during the day infrequently. The diet is largely aufwuchs and detritus supplemented with bivalves and zooplankton It feeds by picking up and swallowing in bites, it lacks gill rakers.
Spawning occurs close to the shore in shallow water. The female actively courts the male, digs pits and leads in mating. The male eventually reacts in a largely passive manner and the pair will establish a bond. It is paternal mouth brooder, but females of one of the strains in Ghana also exhibit the potential for oral‐brooding.
The blackchin tilapia is harvested for human consumption and is bred and collected for the aquarium trade.
