''Coelotilapia joka'' is a vulnerable species of cichlid fish from rivers in

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

and Liberia in

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...

. This relatively small

tilapia Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically most ...

formerly was included in the genus ''

Tilapia Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically most ...

'', but in 2013 it was moved to its own genus ''Coelotilapia'' and

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confli ...

Coelotilapini. It is an oval shaped fish with a black body coloring. Eight to nine yellow, transverse stripes mark the body. The head has small, irregular yellow lines that extend from the eye to the snout, forehead, and mouth. It is one of the few tilapia species that regularly are kept in aquariums.

Characteristics

''Coelotilapia joka'' can reach up to about in

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish ...

. It originates from

; found near the banks of clear rivers and tributaries of the lower parts of the

Moa Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand. The term has also come to be used for chicken in many Polynesian cultures and is found in the names of many chicken recipes, such as Kale moa and Moa Samoa. Moa or MOA may also refe ...

and Moro Rivers, southern

and northern Liberia and lives from the middle to the bottom of the river. Males have an elongated anal and dorsal fins and, with age, have white tips on their fins. In the wild, its diet is mainly herbivorous with some live foods taken. Pairs form monogamous bonds and later patriarch/matriarch families.

Special interest for aquarists

''Coelotilapia joka'' is a peaceful, calm species that does well when combined with fish that have a similar temperament and will do well if in a properly sized and maintained tank. The species requires frequent partial water changes and a pH from 6-7.5 at . While the species will breed in captivity, successful captive breeding is not common.

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q3760488 Pseudocrenilabrinae Cichlid fish of Africa Freshwater fish of West Africa Fish described in 1969