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jackalope
04-29-2009, 07:58 PM
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Cichlidae
Subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae
Tribe: Tilapiini
Genera:
Oreochromis A. Günther,1889 (About 30 Species)
Sarotherodon W. P. E. S. Rüppell, 1852 (About 10 Species)
Tilapia Smith, 1840 (About 40 Species)

'Tilapia' (pronounced /t??l??pi?/) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water and, less commonly, brackish water habitats including shallow streams, ponds, rivers, lakes, and estuaries. Most tilapia are omnivorous with a preference for soft aquatic vegetation and detritus. Historically they have been of major importance in artisanal fishing in Africa and the Levant, and are of increasing importance in aquaculture (see tilapia in aquaculture). Tilapia often become problematic invasive species in new habitats, whether deliberately or accidentally introduced.

The common name tilapia is based on the name of the cichlid genus Tilapia, which is itself a latinization of thiape, the Tswana word for "fish".[1] The genus name and term was first introduced by Scottish zoologist Andrew Smith in 1840.[2]

Tilapia go by many names. The moniker "St. Peter's fish" comes from the account in the Christian Bible about the apostle Peter catching a fish that carried a shekel coin in its mouth. However, that passage does not name the fish .[3] While the name also applies to Zeus faber, a marine fish not found in the area, one tilapia species (Sarotherodon galilaeus galilaeus) is found in the Sea of Galilee where the account took place. This particular species has been the target of small-scale artisanal fisheries in the area for thousands of years.[4][5] In some Asian countries including the Philippines, large tilapia go by pla-pla while their smaller brethren are just tilapia.[6] The Hebrew name is amnoon (?????). The Arabic name is mush? (???) (comb) because of its comb-like tail. Tamil speakers use jilaebi .

More at Wikipedia Tilapia Clik ;) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilapia)