Kingdom Animalia Order Perciformes Genus Tilapia Higher classification Tilapia | Phylum Chordata Family Cichlidae Scientific name Tilapia zillii Rank Species | |
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Similar Cichlid, Sarotherodon, Mango tilapia, Oreochromis aureus, Redbreast tilapia | ||
redbelly tilapia tilapia zillii
The redbelly tilapia (Tilapia zillii) is a species of fish in the cichlid family. It is found widely in Africa and the Middle East, but has also been introduced outside its native range. It is an important food fish and sometimes seen in the aquarium trade. Its natural habitats are marginal vegetation and seasonal floodplain streams, lakes, and ponds. Recent authorities place it in Coptodon (rather that Tilapia) as Coptodon zillii.
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redbelly tilapia tilapia zillii
Species of "St. Peter's fish"
The Tilapia zillii found in the Sea of Galilee is known as "Common St. Peter's fish" or simply "St. Peter's fish", in Arabic musht, lit. "comb", a term adopted also into Modern Hebrew. There are two other species also known as St. Peter's fish: the "Galilee St. Peter's fish" (Mango tilapia, Sarotherodon galileus; Arabic musht 'abyad), which is white and larger than the common version, and the large, dark "Jordan St. Peter's fish" (Oreochromis aureus, blue tilapia or Israeli tilapia), which traditionally used to swim to the Sea of Galilee coming down the Jordan River from Lake Huleh.
