Nile Tilapia

Nile Tilapia is a freshwater fish (Oreochromis niloticus) native to the Nile basin and other river systems of tropical Africa, farmed today in far greater numbers than almost any other finfish species. It tolerates a wide range of water temperatures and oxygen levels, grows quickly on an omnivorous diet, and breeds readily, qualities that made it the foundation of freshwater aquaculture across Africa, Asia and Latin America. China, Egypt and Indonesia are among the largest producers, raising the fish in earthen ponds, floating cages and increasingly in recirculating indoor systems. Because it establishes so easily outside its native range, farmed tilapia that escape or are deliberately stocked have become an invasive species in many of the warm freshwater systems where it is now grown.