Redbelly tilapia

Not to be confused with redbreast tilapia.

Redbelly tilapia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cichliformes
Family: Cichlidae
Genus: Coptodon
Species:
C. zillii
Binomial name
Coptodon zillii
(Gervais, 1848)
Synonyms[2]
  • Acerina zillii Gervais, 1848
  • Chromis zillii (Gervais, 1848)
  • Coptodus zillii (Gervais, 1848)
  • Glyphisidon zillii (Gervais, 1848)
  • Sarotherodon zillii (Gervais, 1848)
  • Tilapia zillii (Gervais, 1848)
  • Haligenes tristrami Günther, 1860
  • Chromis tristrami (Günther, 1860)
  • Tilapia tristrami (Günther, 1860)
  • Tilapia melanopleura Duméril, 1861
  • Chromis melanopleura (Duméril, 1861)
  • Chromis andreae Günther, 1864
  • Chromis coeruleomaculatus Rochebrune, 1880
  • Chromis faidherbii Rochebrune, 1880
  • Chromis menzalensis Mitchell, 1895
  • Tilapia menzalensis (Mitchell, 1895)
  • Tilapia multiradiata Holly, 1928
  • Tilapia shariensis Fowler, 1949

The redbelly tilapia (Coptodon zillii, syn. Tilapia zillii), also known as the Zille's redbreast tilapia or St. Peter's fish (a name also used for other tilapia in Israel), is a species of fish in the cichlid family. This fish is found widely in fresh and brackish waters in the northern half of Africa and the Middle East.[1][3] Elsewhere in Africa, Asia, Australia and North America, it has been introduced as a food fish or as a control of aquatic vegetation. Where introduced, it sometimes becomes invasive, threatening the local ecology and species.[3][4][5][6] The redbelly tilapia is an important food fish and sometimes aquacultured.[3][4]

The species was named by Paul Gervais in honor of M. (probably Monsieur) Zill, a “distinguished naturalist” who collected the type specimen and sent it to Gervais.[7][failed verification]

  1. ^ a b Lalèyè, P. (2020). "Coptodon zillii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T183163A64508317. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T183163A64508317.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Coptodon zillii". FishBase. December 2019 version.
  3. ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Coptodon zillii". FishBase. November 2019 version.
  4. ^ a b Genner, M.J.; G.F. Turner; B.P. Ngatunga (2018). "A Guide to Tilapia Fishes of Tanzania" (PDF). Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  5. ^ Nico, L.; M. Neilson; B. Loftus (2019). "Tilapia zillii (Gervais, 1848)". U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Tilapia zillii (redbelly tilapia)". CABI – Invasive Species Compendium. 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  7. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order CICHLIFORMES: Family CICHLIDAE: PSEUDOCRENILABRINAE (a-g)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 19 February 2021.