620 S. Meridian St. • Tallahassee, FL • (850) 488-4676 Native to north Africa and the Middle East. White flaky meat with a mild flavor; considered excellent eating, and farm-raised fish often sold in grocery stores. Fish and Wildlife Service, April 2011 Revised, July 2014, July 2015, March 2018 Web Version, 4/5/2018 Photo: Howard Jelks, USGS 1 Native Range and Status in the United States Native Range From Froese and Pauly (2017): Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. Spawning Habits: Spawning occurs when the water temperature exceeds 68oF. Spawning Habitats: Unlike other tilapia in Florida, this tilapia is a substrate spawner that lays about 2,000 sticky eggs on hard, flat surfaces; both parents guard young aggressively until about one inch long; sexually mature at 7 inches; some observed spawning year around, but most spawning seems to occur in cooler months between November and March. The males continue to guard nests and may spawn again with another female. issued the all-tackle world record for the species to Henry, who caught the lunker last August while fishing from her dock in the south fork of the St. Lucie River. Feeding Habits: Feed primarily on plankton and small organisms living in or on bottom detritus; three most common foods consumed in Lake Alice and Lake George were diatoms, green algae, and detritus; dominant food items in stomachs of fish from Six-Mile Creek near Tampa were detritus, algae, diatoms, and plant material. Additionally, the International Game Fish Assn. Grow rapidly for first few months, then slow somewhat but ultimately reach 5-6 pounds by age 3-5 yrs; fish weighing 2-4 pounds common; largest caught in Florida weighed 10 pounds and measured over 21 inches in length; Lake Lena fish yielded a maximum age of 6 years, and indicated that males were larger at each age than females. Copyright 1999 - 2020 State of Florida. Widespread and abundant in Florida; found in fertile lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and canals. It’s almost a 10-pounder, and Henry’s having it mounted. Pamela Henry had it in her head that she was going to land a record blue tilapia. In central Florida, anglers can assume every tilapia they observe in fresh water is a blue, and any tilapia over 3 pounds is also likely a blue tilapia. Pamela Henry of Stuart broke state and world records when she reeled in a 9.6-pound blue tilapia last August. Female Mozambique tilapia (O. mossambicus) nearly identical, but doesn't grow as large and currently only occurs in coastal areas south of Titusville; possible hybridization between blue and Mozambique tilapias further complicates identification; male Mozambique tilapia easily distinguished by large mouth and black coloration when breeding. They are rarely caught on artificial lures. Blue tilapia are a conditional species in Florida (68-5.002, Florida Administrative Code). Males dig large circular nests with their mouths in shallow water over a sandy bottom. Photo to right is of a spawning male and female Mozambique tilapia. Big Catch minimum: longer than 18 inches or heavier than 5 pounds. Light yellow to bronze with 6-9 bars or spots along side; stouter but similar body and mouth shape to native sunfishes; small ones tend to have bars that turn into spots in larger fish (see photo); some have reddish markings on the chin or throat area, especially when spawning; sometimes erroneously referred to as an 'oscar.'. There is also a group of avid bow anglers that target this species. Prefers slow-flowing canals, ponds, and lakes; common throughout south Florida; may be increasing in some areas, but not as abundant in Miami-Dade County as in 1980s. And the Stuart, Fla., resident did just that, reeling in a 9.6-pound specimen that was not only a new Florida state record but also made the world record books. Blue Tilapia: Oreochromis aureus Appearance: Young nondescript gray with a black spot at rear of dorsal fin; adults generally blue-gray shading to white on the belly; borders of dorsal and caudal fins with red to pink borders; broken lateral line and the spiny dorsal fin is joined to the soft dorsal fin. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)… Every fisherman worth his salt has a good “The one that got away” story. A taxidermist is mounting the record-breaking fish, a reminder for Henry of her angling prowess.

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