Please help me ID this fish

[Ken Boorman]

I'm hoping someone here can help me ID these fish. My ex brother-in-law caught them in a local stream in Australia and I can't positively ID them. I'm fairly certain they're some kind of cichlid, but I leave it up to you to give me your opinions please.

[Michael Kwist]

I think it's a Tilapia or Oreochromis only with one ?

[Lisachromis]

Yeah, I'd agree with Oreochromis mossambicus. Shouldn't be in Australia.

[Dan Woodland]

I would say the same, either Oreochromis or Tilapia but I'd lean tward this...
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=2

[Darrell Ullisch]

It's most likely mossambicus. The red in the caudal, the white chin, long snout, and the lack of vertical bars on the side all eliminate niloticus as a possibility. Both species have been farmed for food fish, as have hybrids of these two and a few others (recently had reason to do some research on the subject; Google Fish Farming Tilapia and look at the commercial sites, it's fascinating and some of the claims they make are quite funny). Most likely escapees from a fish farm, or worse, introduced intentionally.

[Ken Boorman]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I'm settling for Oreochromis mossambicus for now. It's unfortunate. My source lives in Queensland, Australia. They have been a declared noxious fish there for quite a number of years. From what I was told, there is a breeding population established there

Ken

[MDOU]

*yes, i am aware that i am posting a reply to an old-ish thread*

There are feral cichlids absolutely everywhere in Australia

I know in Ross river (a large river system here in North Queensland, which btw is actually behind my back fence) there is a very large population of feral cichlids. All of which are ex-aquarium specimens.

What I can catch within 40 mins walk from my house includes:
Oscars (actually quite nice looking ones)
Convicts
Tilapia: oreochromis mossambicus & tilapia mariae
Hybrid Mbuna (icky feral ones…. They look to be a mixture of at least 4 different fish)
Red devils (a rarity, I have only ever found 3)
Angels (again, icky feral ones)

Non cichlids:
Siamese fighters (wild looking ones, are actually quite attractive)
Platys
Guppies
Mollies
Sword tails
Gambusia
Gold fish
Ancistrus sp. 3 (common b/n)
Rosy barbs

Yes….. It is disturbing, but at least I have a free supply of feeder fish!

Most likely escapees from a fish farm, or worse, introduced intentionally.

Definitely not farm escapees…. Sadly enough they are all from careless fish keepers who ‘release’ their unwanted pets into local waterways to wreck havoc on the native flora and fauna.

Just out of interest. . .
There is a branch of the Ross river system that goes through a section of laverack barracks (Australia’s biggest army barracks) and it home an incredible number of cichlid fauna. All of which were released by the resident soldiers when they are posted to a new area. I know of many cichlid species being present in the area, and I soon plan to go check it out my self. It is also rumoured that there are wild common plecos in that area as well.


any who, peace out

[straitjacketstar]

Once again resurrecting an old thread...

My understanding about the situation of feral. O. mossambicus in Australia is that they were intentionally introduced into waterways to declare war on a non-native aquatic beetle or some other aquatic bug that was also intentionally introduced to declare war on non-native aquatic plants that were unintentionally introduced into waterways, choking out native aquatic flora and declared noxious.
I forgot where I read this but I believe it.

[Ken Boorman]

I'm fairly certain you are wrong about the release of the O. mossambicus. I would really love to see any reference to this.

Ken
(Aussie living in Canada now)

[Lisachromis]

http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/threate ... ilapia.htm

These three tilapia species were introduced into Australia through the aquarium trade. They are extremely hardy fish with highly efficient breeding strategies (including mouthbrooding), simple food requirements and flexible habitat preferences.

(Refers to Tilapia - Oreochromis mossambicus (Mozambique mouthbrooder), Tilapia mariae (Black mangrove cichlid),
Tilapia zilii (Redbelly tilapia))

However, this site http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2005/s1305418.htm says:

PETER McCUTCHEON: Tilapia were illegally imported into Australia as aquarium fish more than 25 years ago and were soon introduced into north Queensland dams as a way of controlling weeds and mosquitoes. The infestation has slowly but surely spread by human hand as people either deliberately or unwittingly introduced these fast breeding pests into a series of tropical waterways like Townsville's Ross River.

And this one: http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/pub/IMPF ... 5.php?0506

First found in Carnarvon in 1981, tilapias probably came as ornamental fish and escaped or were released.

[Ken Boorman]

Those reports are obvious. I was referring to where

they were intentionally introduced into waterways to declare war on a non-native aquatic beetle or some other aquatic bug that was also intentionally introduced to declare war on non-native aquatic plants that were unintentionally introduced into waterways, choking out native aquatic flora and declared noxious.

Ken