What is the scientific name of the Nile tilapia?

What is the scientific name of the Nile tilapia? The answer is Oreochromis niloticus, a cichlid species native to parts of Africa and the Levant.

The species name reflects its association with the Nile region, although its natural distribution extends beyond the Nile basin. It is now widely introduced and farmed around the world because it grows efficiently, tolerates varied conditions, and reproduces in a way well suited to aquaculture. Females mouthbrood their young, sheltering eggs or fry in the mouth during early development.

Nile tilapia is an important food fish and may be sold under names including nilotica, boulti, and mango fish. The last name can cause confusion: mango fish is not the same species as mango tilapia, Sarotherodon galilaeus. Nile tilapia may also be confused with blue tilapia, Oreochromis aureus, which can look similar.

Wild fish are often brownish or grayish, with vertical striping on the tail. Farmed stocks may look different because selective breeding and hybridization are common. The species was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, so its full scientific authority is often written Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758).