Description
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | Genus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animalia | Chordata | Osteichthyes | Perciformes | Cichlidae | Heterotilapia |
Synonyms
Invasion History
Chesapeake Bay Status
| First Record | Population | Range | Introduction | Residency | Source Region | Native Region | Vectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Failed | Contracting | Introduced | Regular Resident | Africa | Africa | Ornamental(Pet Release) |
History of Spread
Tilapia buttikoferi is a cichlid fish native to West Africa, inhabiting the lower reaches of coastal rivers from Guineau-Bissau into Liberia (Froiese and Pauly 2002). An angler caught one specimen of T. buttikoferi in the Rappahannock near Fredericksburg VA. This fish was probably a released aquarium pet. Although posession of T. buttikoferi is banned in FL, this species has been seen in the pet trade. No other North American releases are known at this time (Florida Caribbean Science Center 2002; Fuller 2002 personal communication). Since only one or a few specimens were probably introduced, and this fish is unlikely to survive a Chesapeake Bay winter, we consider T. buttikoferi to be a failed introduction in the Chesapeake Bay.
References- FishBase 2001; Florida Caribbean Science Center 2002; Fuller 2002 personal communicatio
Invasion Comments
Ecology
Environmental Tolerances
| For Survival | For Reproduction | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | Minimum | Maximum | |
| Temperature (ºC) | ||||
| Salinity (‰) | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||
| Oxygen | ||||
| pH | ||||
| Salinity Range | fresh-oligo |
Age and Growth
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Typical Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Maximum Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Maximum Longevity (yrs) | ||
| Typical Longevity (yrs |
Reproduction
| Start | Peak | End | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive Season | |||
| Typical Number of Young Per Reproductive Event |
|||
| Sexuality Mode(s) | |||
| Mode(s) of Asexual Reproduction |
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| Fertilization Type(s) | |||
| More than One Reproduction Event per Year |
|||
| Reproductive Startegy | |||
| Egg/Seed Form |
Impacts
Economic Impacts in Chesapeake Bay
Heterotilapia buttikoferi appears to be a failed introduction to the Chesapeake Bay region, since it is probably incapable of surviving winter temperatures in the region. It is likely to have no significant economic impacts.
Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay
Heterotilapia buttikoferi appears to have had no other introductions outside its native range (Froese and Pauly 2001; Fuller 2001). Unlike other members of the genus, it does not seem to have been used extensively in the pet or aquaculture trades. It is likely to have no significant economic impacts.
Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species
Tilapia buttikoferi appears to be a failed introduction to the Chesapeake Bay region, since it is probably incapable of surviving winter temperatures in the region. It is likely to have no significant impacts on native biota.
Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species
Heterotilapia buttikoferi appears to be a failed introduction to the Chesapeake Bay region, since it is probably incapable of surviving winter temperatures in the region. It is likely to have no significant impacts on other exotic biota.