Nile Tilapia

 This is a picture of a Nile Tilapia. This is not my first encounter with this particular species of fish, but it is a somewhat unorthodox meeting. The Nile is of course a huge river in Northern Africa. That does give us a good idea of where this species naturally occurs. I am, however, a South African, from the complete opposite side of the continent. Like so many anglers, my encounters with this fish happen outside of its natural range.

Tilapia form part of the Cichlid family. This means that there are numerous different species and looks to these fish. Nowhere is this as abundantly clear as in Lake Malawi, with an enormous diversity in cichlids, varying greatly in shapes and colors. Cichlids are found the world over, but Africa has a large amount. Oftentimes language barriers and local names can hide the nature of these fish. For example, Peacock Bass is actually a Cichlid.

In Southern Africa, Tilapia are called Kurpers. Vlei-, Blue-, Redbreast-, and Kaapse kurpers, these are all names of different species of Tilapia. Kurpers take on the role that sunfish do in the States. Being very aggressive and oftentimes being the first fish to reach your baits. Many of the Tilapia are beautiful and colorful, and can be prized aquarium fish. This makes it so strange that the Nile Tilapia, in my opinion, a dull fish, is one of the most commonly distributed fish worldwide.  I do understand they are farmed for food, but the Blue Tilapia also grows to around the same size.

Be it for stocking ponds, having pets, or farming them for food, these fish inevitably end up in bodies of water they should not be in. Largemouth Bass struggle to eat these fish, likely due to their spiny fins, meaning that there is no population control. These fish then become invasive as their ill tempers and high adaptability out-competes native fish species for food and resources. Back in Africa, my first Nile Tilapia was an easy catch with earthworms. This particular fish was really hard work to get on an earthworm. From observations I made here, it seems like these fish had a dietary shift. Not competing with Bluegill, but rather eating algae, which has an impact on baitfish like shiners and shad. This is the danger with invasive fish, and why any such catches should not be released.