Oreochromis aureus (Steindachner)

Chan, Jeffery C. F., Tsang, Alphonse H. F., Yau, Sze-man, Hui, Tommy C. H., Lau, Anthony, Tan, Heok Hui, Low, Bi Wei, Dudgeon, David & Liew, Jia Huan, 2023, The non-native freshwater fishes of Hong Kong: diversity, distributions, and origins, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 71, pp. 128-168 : 145

Oreochromis aureus (Steindachner)

( Fig. 33 [LU])

Distribution. She Shan River, Lai Chi Kok Park (GBIF. org, 2021); Tung Tsz Stream (current survey)

Native range. Africa.

Remarks. Not as widespread as other Oreochromis spp. , but the frequency of records has risen in recent years. It differs from the morphologically similar Oreochromis niloticus by having faint variable bars on the caudal fin as opposed to regular dark vertical bar, and pink-red margins ( Trewavas, 1983). Juveniles have a black spot at the rear of the dorsal fin, which is absent in Oreochromis niloticus ( Gu et al., 2016) . This species may also resemble Oreochromis niloticus × Oreochromis mossambicus hybrids, which can be preliminarily differentiated from them by the presence of blue spots on the dorsal and caudal fins and blue colouration of the snout in Oreochromis aureus .

Figures

Fig. 33. Oreochromis aureus, 330.1 mm SL, Tung Tsz Stream.