a name applied to various species of freshwater fish in the genera Tilapia and Sarotherodon and Oreochromis especially O. mossambicus and O. niloticus niloticus. Both belong to E. Africa, but the natural range of the latter extends northwards to the Nile and to Israel and Syria.
Both species are good food fishes, not too bony, and have now been introduced to many other areas, especially in Asia, for culture in ponds. This kind of fish farming has acquired considerable commercial importance. O. niloticus niloticus, the larger and faster growing of the two species, can reach a length of 50 cm (20″) and a weight of over 6 kg (14 lb).
These are herbivorous fish, with family instincts. The male makes a nest in the soft bottom of the pond or stream and swims round it, looking attractive, until a female comes and lays eggs in it. The male then fertilizes the eggs and the female keeps them in her mouth for a few days until they hatch, thus earning the epithet mouth-brooder.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
