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Tilapia are a genus of freshwater fish in the cichlidae family. They are native to South America and Africa but have been introduced widely into the open waters of southern North America and are now common in Florida, Texas and parts of the southwest US. Tilapia are easy to keep in aquariums provided they get enough space. They breed easily and grow fast, but are a danger to any smaller fish. Most of the species are substrate spawners but some are mouthbrooders. Tilapia are sometimes bred for protein. In some regions the fish can be put out in the rice fields when rice is planted, and will have grown to edible size (12–15 cm, 5–6 inches) when the rice is ready for harvest. See also fish farming. The tilapia fish are an excellent biological control for some aquatic plant problems. They have a preference for a floating aquatic plant, duckweed (Lemna sp.) but also consume some filamentous alga. It is sometimes misnamed Talapia or Telapia. ReproductionThe tilapia first will prepare their nest for the offspring. This is often a cleared area on the substrate in shallow water where oxygen supplies are abundant. The female then lays the eggs, ranging in number form about a dozen to more than 200, into the nest. In mouthbrooding species, the male fertilizes the eggs and then picks them up into his mouth and oral incubation takes place. This helps the eggs to stay highly oxygenated and prevents them from being attacked by bacteria. The male mouthbreeder keeps the eggs aerated and free from bacteria and fungus by running water over the eggs into his mouth and out beneath the gill covers constantly. References
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