Oreochromis aureus ( Steindachner, 1864 )

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, Zootaxa 5350 (1), pp. 1-62 : 39

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5350.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:23B4C9BF-A1A4-4D27-8C30-E4A23DAD01AB
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10563298
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039B4C3C-2E2D-FFA6-FF42-FCA0E196FA2B
treatment provided by	Plazi (2023-09-29 11:44:55, last updated 2024-11-28 18:53:13)
scientific name	Oreochromis aureus ( Steindachner, 1864 )
status

Treatment

Oreochromis aureus ( Steindachner, 1864) View in CoL View at ENA [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) View in CoL .—Revisions: Trewavas (1965: 265) as Tilapia aurea View in CoL ; 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).

References

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.

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

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.

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.