Coptodon zillii (Gervais)

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 : 143-144

Coptodon zillii (Gervais)

( Fig. 28 , [LU])

Distribution. Shing Mun River ( Chan, 2001 as Tilapia zillii ); High Island Reservoir, Hok Tau Reservoir, Kowloon Reservoir, Lau Shui Heung Reservoir, Plover Cove Reservoir, Pok Fu Lam Reservoir, Kowloon Reception Reservoir, Shek Lei Pui Reservoir, Tai Lam Chung Reservoir ( Lai, 2011 as Tilapia zillii ); Lok Ma Chau Loop, Tse Koo Hang area (Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Limited, 2013a as Tilapia zillii ); Sham Wat River (Mott MacDonald Hong Kong Limited, 2014 as Tilapia zillii ); Sandy Ridge Cemetery (Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Limited, 2016 as Tilapia zillii ); Lin Fa Tei area (Atkins China Limited, 2020); Nam Sang Wai area (Black & Veatch Hong Kong Limited, 2020a; current survey); Shek Pik Reservoir (AFCD, 2021c); Ma Tso Lung Stream, Ping Yuen River, Yuen Long Bypass Floodway, Ho Chung River, Ma Wat River, Lam Tsuen River, Pak Ngan Heung Stream (DSD, 2021 as Tilapia zillii ); Tung Chung River ( Green Power, 2021); Wetland Park, Shui Lo Cho Stream, Pui O Stream, Shek Lei Pui Reservoir, Shap Long Irrigation Reservoir, Lamma Island area, Ting Kok area, Tai Tam Byewash Reservoir, Tan Shan River, Tai Ho River, Hang Hau Man Kuk Lane Park (GBIF.org, 2021); Deep Water Bay Stream, San Tin area, Ng Tung River, Sheung Yue River, Kam Tin River, Tsing Tai Stream, Shing Mun Reservoir, Lower Shing Mun Reservoir, Lam Tei Irrigation Reservoir, Hung Shui Hang Irrigation Reservoir, Kowloon Byewash Reservoir, Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir, Tai Tam Reservoir, Tai Tam Intermediate Reservoir (current survey).

Native range. Africa.

Remarks. One of the most widespread cichlids in Hong Kong, thriving in both degraded lowland streams and pristine hill streams. Abundant in reservoirs where they are now found in greater numbers than Oreochromis spp.

Figures

Fig. 28. Coptodon zillii, 102.2 mm SL, Deep Water Bay Stream.