# never had a name



## greenstyler21 (Dec 17, 2010)

Hi guys and gals, can anyone identify "bob" as we have always called him, i have had suspicions over the years that he may be a tilapia of sorts but i have never been certain. Also i dont know if this is normal but i have had this guy for 15 years and he was 1 year old when i got him = 16. He was given to me buy a friend who's dad owns a pond centre, having been imported among a delivery of koi fry (how did he get there??). Sorry if the photo isnt sharp.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

It is definately a Tilapia... perhaps zilli


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

I would say a _Sarotherodon _or _Oreochromis _(these are the mouthbrooders most people think of as "Tilapia") would be more likely, as the mouth seems rather big for a _Tilapia _species. _O. aureus _and _O. niloticus _are pond bred as food fish, often hybridized to improve size. The fish above looks most like _O. niloticus_.


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## greenstyler21 (Dec 17, 2010)

thanks for the replies, lets see if he can reach his 20th birthday


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

Chromedome52 said:


> _Oreochromis _The fish above looks most like _O. niloticus_.


I'd have to agree with Chromedome. The fish looks most like Oreochromis. O. niloticus has a very distinctive pattern on it's fins that is peculiar in it's genus. The fish in question seems to have the same pattern on it's fins; though not quite that, or as apperant as O. niloticus. This would seem to suggest, possibly, hybrid Oreochromis.

Members of the Coptodon group in the Tilapia genus are very closely related to Oreochromis. But in my opinion, the head, mouth and face of the fish in question do not fit a Tilapia from this group, especially for a very mature specimen.

Here are a couple pice of my male Tilapia zilli at 13 3/4", after 3 years from purchase. Note the face, mouth and overall body shape and head.


















But I must also note that T. zilli, besides Sarotherodon galilaeus, is the most widely distributed African cichlid. It's range is huge, so many regional variants exist. If the ichthyologists spent the time looking at their differences, they could probably make dozens of species out of it :lol: And it is a fish that is used in aquaculture, though not nearly as much as Oreochromis.


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## greenstyler21 (Dec 17, 2010)

I forgot to mention that he changes colour according to mood, plain for normal, tiger-like stripes for aggressive (he sometimes sees his reflection in the glass), and horizontal stripes for sleep state. They also change by the season such as a red flush to his throat and the spot on his dorsal fin darkens. But it seems you have narrowed it down brilliantly anyway so thanks to all for the help.


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## greenstyler21 (Dec 17, 2010)

Sorry i meant to ask, can anybody tell me if "he" is actually a "he"? :-? I've been under this assumption the whole time due to his pointy fins, but as he is a fish i've never heard of i could be wrong. There is a tube like appendage protruding from his genital area at this time of year, could this actually be an ovipositor of sorts? (Fish biology is'nt my best subject :lol: )


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

It definately looks male, though with many species of fish, very mature females can often end up looking quite male-like, especially when there is no male of a similar age to compare it too.

Observing the breeding tube over time, is definately a reliable way to sex most cichlids. If it is a male, you generally expect the tube to stay out most, if not all the time, and to remain pointed; and not change too much over time. A female's organ often changes quite a bit over the course of a few weeks or few months; from not protruding at all to thick and blunt. If it ever does resemble the male organ, it generally doesn't stay that way for very long.


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## greenstyler21 (Dec 17, 2010)

Well "he" is digging huge holes in the sand again which he does about this time of year (i scrapped the gravel for white sand). Do the males dig nest holes or could a female also do this?


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

greenstyler21 said:


> Do the males dig nest holes or could a female also do this?


Males dig large pits for breeding purpses. I've had many male Oreochromis males in the past and they all dug large pits at one time or another; never seen a female do this at any time.


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## dwizzle (Mar 20, 2016)

anyone still active on this post... i have the exact same fish wich A want id from


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

dwizzle said:


> anyone still active on this post... i have the exact same fish wich A want id from


Looking back at this thread, I do believe myself and Chromdome got it wrong. That the fish in question is Coptodon and not Oreochromis. So Fogelhand saying perhaps zillii, was at least closest. 
Could be the same fish as yours (?), though does not appear to be an exact match to me. Coptodon species can look very similar.


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## dwizzle (Mar 20, 2016)

i agree its a coptodon zillii,, anyone can tell me what kind of behavior they have, and their needs .. ??


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

dwizzle said:


> i agree its a coptodon zillii,


Might be zillii (?)......but could very well be another species of Coptodon. It's a 16 year old fish, according to the OP, so it may even have lost weight at one time. Possibly why the proportions of head and mouth to body, really not what I would expect.
My fish, I am certain is zillii. 2 pictures in this thread of my fish. 13 3/4" long may not seem that large, but if I had a weight scale back then I'm sure the fish would have weighed in over 2 lbs. Plump, maybe a little fat, as it certainly dominated in the eating area. Had the fish for 4 years, and it changed a lot. At a younger stage the barring, both vertical and horizontal were prominent. When they bred, the pair was a carbon copy of the pictures of zillii in Anton Lamboj's book. By the time I took pictures of my zilli, it was greenish colored fish, never expressing any real barring and only showing it's blood red throat in either an aggressive state, or scared or showing fear (such as when décor was being removed during a water change).


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