Published September 22, 2023 | Version v1
Taxonomic treatment Open

Oreochromis aureus

  • 1. Al Andalus University, Kadmus, Tartus, Syria / Syrian Society for Aquatic Environment Protection, Lattakia, Syria.
  • 2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Art and Sciences, Nevþehir Hacý BektaþVeli University, Nevþehir, T ¸ rkiye.
  • 3. Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Laboratory, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
  • 4. Staatliches Museum f ¸ r Naturkunde in Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany.
  • 5. Health Services Vocational School, Nevþehir Hacý BektaþVeli University, Nevþehir, T ¸ rkiye.
  • 6. Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.

Description

Oreochromis aureus (Steindachner, 1864) [I]—Blue tilapia; Mesht azrak

Taxonomy. Original description: Chromis aureus Steindachner, 1864: 229, pl. 8, fig. 5 [locality unknown; no types known].—Syrian synonyms: Tilapia aurea (Steindachner, 1864).—Revisions: Trewavas (1965: 265) as Tilapia aurea; Trewavas (1982: 12).—Illustration: Steindachner (1864: 229, pl. 8, fig. 5).

Status in Syria. According to Coad (1996), this species recorded from Syria by F. Krupp (1988) reports capture of a specimen from the Khabour River in Syria, presumably an escape from a fish farm in the basin of this tributary of the Euphrates River. Subsequently recorded Ali (2003); Saad et al. (2006); Saad (2010).—Syrian material: MSL.

Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Syria: Khabour River.—Distribution in River Basin: 1-Dajleh & Khabour, 2-Euphrates & Aleppo, 3-Desert, 4-Orontes, 5-Barada & Awaj, 6-Coastal, 7-Al-Yarmouk.—General distribution: Middle East and Africa. Introduced widely elsewhere.—Distribution in Ecoregion: 436-Coastal Levant, 437-Orontes, 438- Jordan River, 440-Arabian Interior, 441-Lower Tigris & Euphrates, 442-Upper Tigris & Euphrates.—Habitat: This species inhabits a very wide range of flowing water habitats, from fast-flowing headwaters and reservoirs to polluted canals and large lowland rivers. It is the most environmentally tolerant of all tilapia species, tolerating lack of oxygen, pollution, salinity, etc. Low water temperatures (below 10–13 oC) limit its occurrence. Freshwater, brackish.

Economic importance. Commercially important.

Reasons of introduction. Aquaculture.

Conservation. Not relevant (introduced species).

Notes

Published as part of Saad, Adib, Çiçek, Erdoğan, Esmaeili, Hamid Reza, Fricke, Ronald, Sungur, Sevil & Eagderi, Soheil, 2023, Freshwater fishes of Syria: a revised and updated annotated checklist- 2023, pp. 1-62 in Zootaxa 5350 (1) on page 39, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5350.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10129772

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Additional details

References

  • Steindachner, F. (1864) Ichthyologische Mittheilungen. (VII.) [With subtitles I - VIII]. Verhandlungen der K. - K. zoologischbotanischen Gesellschaft in Wien, 14, 223 - 232, pls. 7 - 8.
  • Trewavas, E. (1965) Tilapia aurea (Steindachner) and the status of Tilapia nilotica exul, T. monodi and T. lemassoni. Israel Journal of Zoology, 14, 258 - 276.
  • Trewavas, E. (1982) Tilapias: taxonomy and speciation. In: Pullin, R. S. V. & Lowe-McConnell, R. H. (Eds.), The biology and culture of tilapias. I CLARM Conference Proceedings. No. 7. International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management, Manila, pp. 3 - 13.
  • Coad, B. W. (1996) Exotic fish species in the Tigris-Euphrates basin. Zoology in the Middle East, 13, 71 - 83. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 09397140.1996.10637707
  • Ali, A. (2003) A study of the qualitative and quantitative composition and biogeographical distribution of fish in the Khabur River Basin. Master Thesis, Tishreen University, Syria. 106 pp.
  • Saad, A., Hammoud, N., Khalaf, Gh., Alzin, Gh., Al Hawi, E. & Ali, A. (2006) A comparative study of the biological diversity of fish fauna in the Orontes River basin in both Syria and Lebanon. Sustainable Agricultural Development and Food Security Conference, 6 - 9 November 2006. Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria. [unknown pagination]
  • Saad, A. (2010) Fisheries resources in Syria: Its Reality and Prospects for its Development. In: Syrian Economy Bulletin - Agricultural Sector, Edition: Economic Committee Chapter: 5. Presidency of the Council of Ministers, s. l., pp. 13 - 36.