I recently bought this fish was told it was some type of tilapia but I cant find anything like it.
Id Please???
- Thread starter Alliance93
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Yep, it sure looks like a Tilapine. the obvious genera are Coptodon, Oreochromis, Sarotherodon, and Tilapia, which contain about 100 species between them, (there are some more closely related genera, and many of which are almost indistinguishable from each other, unless you know provenance, and many will hybridize, so finding which species is like trying to find a needle in a ....
Add to that many drastically change shape and coloras they age.
Some examples
Coptodon zillii
Oreochromis tanganicae
Tilapia niloticus
and a hybrid below (about 20" long in a 500 gal tank)
one of the most common in aquaria, are are Sarotherodon mossambiques
I had them first around 1960, so didn't have a camera, I once found them in a LFS listed as grammodes.
Add to that many drastically change shape and coloras they age.
Some examples
Coptodon zillii
Oreochromis tanganicae
Tilapia niloticus
and a hybrid below (about 20" long in a 500 gal tank)
one of the most common in aquaria, are are Sarotherodon mossambiques
I had them first around 1960, so didn't have a camera, I once found them in a LFS listed as grammodes.
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I was remembering, a while back Tilapia species mamfe, "Cross river" were readily available, and became quite popular (in the midwest (Ohio cichlid assn, Greater Chigo cichlid assn, Mich Cichid assn and Milwaukee all had them)).
Availability is often the key and clue to I.D.ing certain species.
You may want to google some pics of them, adults looked similar yours.
Availability is often the key and clue to I.D.ing certain species.
You may want to google some pics of them, adults looked similar yours.
Kinda looks like a really dull geophagus Brasiliensis to me. But I'm a super amateur and only 19 so dont trust me! 
One of the ways Tilapines differ from new world cichlids, is the tilapia spot, in the posterior of the dorsal.
In older tilapines it almost disappears, but in the OPs 2nd pic it is slightly visible.
In young Tilapines (African, and Asian cichlids) it is obvious.
In the same older Tilapines, it appears during stress, but most of the time is washed out.
Same fish below, but older.
It is visible and obvious in some other Tilape lineage species, when spawning, like the Coptodon bythobates below, an African from lake Bermin.
It is very seldom in seen new world cichlids, like this young individual of the Geophagus braziliensus group
In older tilapines it almost disappears, but in the OPs 2nd pic it is slightly visible.
In young Tilapines (African, and Asian cichlids) it is obvious.
In the same older Tilapines, it appears during stress, but most of the time is washed out.
Same fish below, but older.
It is visible and obvious in some other Tilape lineage species, when spawning, like the Coptodon bythobates below, an African from lake Bermin.
It is very seldom in seen new world cichlids, like this young individual of the Geophagus braziliensus group
I used to keep a species of Tilapia that was widely available in the late 70s early 80s in Canada. Was known as Tilapia Marie , I believe. Such prolific breeders of in almost any circumstance or water quality. Think they are banned now in many countries as “pests.” This was not my fish, but my large male was about a 12” long and would get this intense red along the edges of rail and dorsal while breeding (which was most of the time).
The one above is Oreochromis mossambicus, I had them in the 60s too, great fish, kept them in an old claw foot bath tub when they grew too large for the tanks..
Here in Panama they sometimes fill lakes to the brim.
Here in Panama they sometimes fill lakes to the brim.
Thanks for the clarification on the name. My (at the time) tween brain filed it away incorrectly, or was misidentified by whoever I got them from. As I recall the provincial power corporation in Regina, Saskatchewan where I grew up had a large indoor pond in n the lobby that contained a number of them living with goldfish. That is a great image in Panama. Highly adaptable! I kept mine in a rusty framed fifty gallon before selling them off.The one above is Oreochromis mossambicus, I had them in the 60s too, great fish, kept them in an old claw foot bath tub when they grew too large for the tanks..
Here in Panama they sometimes fill lakes to the brim.
