Freshwater
Blue Tilapia
Oreochromis aureus
Hebrew name: אמנון כחול
- Peak season
- Spring to autumn (April-October), peak in summer
- Length range
- 20–40 cm
- Weight range
- 0.3–2 kg
- Typical depth
- 0–10 m
Habitat
Lakes, rivers, reservoirs and fish ponds; native to the Jordan Valley, the Sea of Galilee, the lower Nile and West Africa, and widely stocked elsewhere. Tolerates cooler and saltier water than most tilapias.
Behavior
Filters plankton and grazes algae and detritus, also taking small invertebrates. The female carries eggs and fry in her mouth; breeding males turn bright blue and defend a nest in the shallows.
Best techniques
- Float fishing with bread, dough or corn
- Small hooks with worms or maggots
- Method feeder with groundbait
- Fly fishing with small nymphs or algae flies
