''Coptodon'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
cichlid
Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted this ...
s native to fresh,
brackish
Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...
and coastal marine waters in Africa with ''C. zillii'' also found in the Middle East. It is the only genus in the
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 language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...
Coptodonini. Formerly included in ''
Tilapia'', this genus and tribe was separated in 2013.
[Dunz, A.R. & Schliewen, U.K. (2013): Molecular phylogeny and revised classification of the haplotilapiine cichlid fishes formerly referred to as ''“Tilapia”''. ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Available online 29 March 2013 doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2013.03.015''] Despite the change in genus, ''Coptodon'' spp. are still referred to by the common name
tilapia. Several species are important in local fisheries and a few are
aquacultured
Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
.
Appearance
Depending on the exact species, the maximum length of ''Coptodon'' ranges from ; the smallest is ''C. snyderae'', which also is the smallest tilapia.
Although the individual species typically have different nonbreeding and breeding colors, the sexes are alike. Some of the species are very similar and difficult to distinguish from each other.
Behavior
Unlike the well-known oreochromine
Oreochromini is a tribe of cichlids in the Pseudocrenilabrinae subfamily that is native to Africa and Western Asia, but a few species have been widely introduced to other parts of the world. It was formerly considered to be part of the tribe Ti ...
tilapia that are mouthbrooders, ''Coptodon'' spp. are substrate brooders. In most species, the parents excavate a "nest" in the bottom, ranging from a depression to actual tunnels, but a few species use surfaces of stones or sunken wood. The eggs are laid in the nest, and the eggs and fry are guarded by both parents.[
''Coptodon'' spp. mostly feed on plant material (both ]phytoplankton
Phytoplankton () are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from the Greek words (), meaning 'plant', and (), meaning 'wanderer' or 'drifter'.
Ph ...
and higher plants) and detritus
In biology, detritus () is dead particulate organic material, as distinguished from dissolved organic material. Detritus typically includes the bodies or fragments of bodies of dead organisms, and fecal material. Detritus typically hosts commun ...
with smaller quantities of invertebrates, but in Lake Bermin
Lake Bermin (sometimes spelled Bemin or Beme) is a small lake in the volcanic chain in the Southwest Region of Cameroon. It is a volcanic lake with a diameter of about Martin; Cutler; Friel; Touokong; Coop; and Wainwright (2015). Complex histori ...
and Lake Ejagham
Lake Ejagham is a small lake near Eyumodjock in the Southwest Region, Cameroon, Southwest Region of Cameroon. Unlike many other lakes in the region, it is not a volcanic lake, but is likely a solution basin formed by groundwater during the last gl ...
, a level of segregation has occurred among the species, including specialists that mostly feed on sponge
Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through t ...
s (''C. gutturosa'' and ''C. spongotroktis''), small fish (''C. ejagham''), or zooplankton
Zooplankton are the animal component of the planktonic community ("zoo" comes from the Greek word for ''animal''). Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents, and consequently drift or are carried along by ...
(''C. fusiforme'').[
]
Conservation status
''C. rendalli'' and ''C. zillii'' have been introduced widely outside their native ranges, and are considered invasive
Invasive may refer to:
*Invasive (medical) procedure
*Invasive species
*Invasive observation, especially in reference to surveillance
*Invasively progressive spread of disease from one organ in the body to another, especially in reference to cancer ...
, but most remaining members of the genus (including four endemics
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
in Lake Ejagham and nine in Lake Bermin) have small ranges, and many species are seriously threatened.[ Considered ]data deficient
A data deficient (DD) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as offering insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. This does not necessaril ...
by the IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
, the virtually unknown ''C. ismailiaensis'' may be synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
of the equally poorly known ''Oreochromis ismailiaensis'',
Species
Currently, 31 species are recognized in this genus:[
* '']Coptodon bakossiorum
''Coptodon bakossiorum'' is a critically endangered species of fish in the cichlid family. It is endemic to Lake Bermin in Cameroon. It is threatened by pollution and sedimentation from human activities, and potentially also by large emissions o ...
'' ( Stiassny, Schliewen & Dominey, 1992)
* ''Coptodon bemini
''Coptodon bemini'' is a critically endangered species of fish in the cichlid family. It is endemic to Lake Bermin in Cameroon. It is threatened by pollution and sedimentation from human activities, and potentially also by large emissions of car ...
'' ( Thys van den Audenaerde, 1972)
* ''Coptodon bythobates
''Coptodon bythobates'' is a critically endangered species of fish in the cichlid family. It is endemic to Lake Bermin in Cameroon. It is threatened by pollution and sedimentation from human activities, and potentially also by large emissions of ...
'' ( Stiassny, Schliewen & Dominey, 1992)
* ''Coptodon cameronensis
''Coptodon'' is a genus of cichlids native to fresh, brackish and coastal marine waters in Africa with ''C. zillii'' also found in the Middle East. It is the only genus in the tribe Coptodonini. Formerly included in ''Tilapia'', this genus and tr ...
'' ( Holly, 1927)
* '' Coptodon camerunensis'' ( Lönnberg, 1903)
* ''Coptodon coffea
''Coptodon'' is a genus of cichlids native to fresh, brackish and coastal marine waters in Africa with ''C. zillii'' also found in the Middle East. It is the only genus in the tribe Coptodonini. Formerly included in ''Tilapia'', this genus and tr ...
'' ( Thys van den Audenaerde, 1970)
* ''Coptodon congica
''Coptodon'' is a genus of cichlids native to fresh, brackish and coastal marine waters in Africa with ''C. zillii'' also found in the Middle East. It is the only genus in the tribe Coptodonini. Formerly included in ''Tilapia'', this genus and tr ...
'' ( Poll & Thys van den Audenaerde, 1960)
* ''Coptodon dageti
''Coptodon'' is a genus of cichlids native to fresh, brackish and coastal marine waters in Africa with ''C. zillii'' also found in the Middle East. It is the only genus in the tribe Coptodonini. Formerly included in ''Tilapia'', this genus and tr ...
'' (Thys van den Audenaerde, 1971)
* '' Coptodon deckerti'' (Thys van den Audenaerde, 1967)
* '' Coptodon discolor'' ( Günther, 1903)
* '' Coptodon ejagham'' ( Dunz & Schliewen, 2010)[
* '']Coptodon flava
''Coptodon flava'' is a critically endangered species of fish in the cichlid family. It is endemic to Lake Bermin in Cameroon. It is threatened by pollution and sedimentation from human activities, and potentially also by large emissions of car ...
'' (Stiassny, Schliewen & Dominey, 1992)
* ''Coptodon fusiforme
''Coptodon fusiforme'' is a species of fish in the cichlid family, endemic to Lake Ejagham in western Cameroon. It was only scientifically described in 2010, so has not been rated by the IUCN, but it likely faces the same risks as the critically ...
'' (Dunz & Schliewen, 2010)[
* '']Coptodon guineensis
''Coptodon'' is a genus of cichlids native to fresh, brackish and coastal marine waters in Africa with ''C. zillii'' also found in the Middle East. It is the only genus in the tribe Coptodonini. Formerly included in ''Tilapia'', this genus and tr ...
'' (Günther, 1862) (Guinean tilapia)
* ''Coptodon gutturosa
''Coptodon gutturosa'' is a critically endangered species of fish in the cichlid family. It is endemic to Lake Bermin in Cameroon. It is threatened by pollution and sedimentation from human activities, and potentially also by large emissions of ...
'' (Stiassny, Schliewen & Dominey, 1992)
* ''Coptodon imbriferna
''Coptodon imbriferna'' is a critically endangered species of fish in the cichlid family. It is endemic to Lake Bermin in Cameroon. It is threatened by pollution and sedimentation from human activities, and potentially also by large emissions of ...
'' (Stiassny, Schliewen & Dominey, 1992)
* ''Coptodon ismailiaensis
''Coptodon'' is a genus of cichlids native to fresh, brackish and coastal marine waters in Africa with ''C. zillii'' also found in the Middle East. It is the only genus in the tribe Coptodonini. Formerly included in '' Tilapia'', this genus and t ...
'' ( Mekkawy, 1995)
* ''Coptodon konkourensis
''Coptodon'' is a genus of cichlids native to fresh, brackish and coastal marine waters in Africa with ''C. zillii'' also found in the Middle East. It is the only genus in the tribe Coptodonini. Formerly included in ''Tilapia'', this genus and tr ...
'' (Dunz & Schliewen, 2012)
* ''Coptodon kottae
''Coptodon kottae'' (formerly ''Tilapia kottae'') is an endangered species of fish in the cichlid family, Cichlidae. It is endemic to Lake Barombi-ba-Kotto and the smaller nearby Lake Mboandong in the Southwest Region of Cameroon.
This is a su ...
'' ( Lönnberg, 1904)
* '' Coptodon louka'' (Thys van den Audenaerde, 1969)
* '' Coptodon margaritacea'' (Boulenger Boulenger is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Benjamin Boulenger (born 1990), French footballer
* Edward George Boulenger (1888–1946), British zoologist, director of aquarium at London Zoo
* George Albert Boulenger (1858–1 ...
, 1916)
* ''Coptodon nigrans
''Coptodon nigrans'' is a species of fish in the cichlid family. It is endemic to Lake Ejagham in western Cameroon. It was only scientifically described in 2010 and has therefore not been rated by the IUCN, but it likely faces the same risks as t ...
'' (Dunz & Schliewen, 2010)[
* '']Coptodon nyongana
''Coptodon'' is a genus of cichlids native to fresh, brackish and coastal marine waters in Africa with ''C. zillii'' also found in the Middle East. It is the only genus in the tribe Coptodonini. Formerly included in ''Tilapia'', this genus and tr ...
'' (Thys van den Audenaerde, 1971)
* ''Coptodon rendalli
The redbreast tilapia (''Coptodon rendalli'') is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is found widely in the southern half of Africa. Its natural habitats are freshwater lakes and freshwater marshes. It is known as the redbreast kurper ...
'' (Boulenger, 1897) (redbreast tilapia)
* '' Coptodon rheophila'' ( Daget, 1962)
* ''Coptodon snyderae
''Coptodon snyderae'' is a critically endangered species of fish in the cichlid family. It is endemic to Lake Bermin in Cameroon. It is threatened by pollution and sedimentation from human activities, and potentially also by large emissions of ...
'' (Stiassny, Schliewen & Dominey, 1992)
* ''Coptodon spongotroktis
''Coptodon spongotroktis'' is a critically endangered species of fish in the cichlid family. It is endemic to Lake Bermin in Cameroon. It is threatened by pollution and sedimentation from human activities, and potentially also by large emissions ...
'' (Stiassny, Schliewen & Dominey, 1992)
* ''Coptodon tholloni
''Coptodon'' is a genus of cichlids native to fresh, brackish and coastal marine waters in Africa with ''C. zillii'' also found in the Middle East. It is the only genus in the tribe Coptodonini. Formerly included in '' Tilapia'', this genus and t ...
'' ( Sauvage, 1884)
* ''Coptodon thysi
''Coptodon thysi'' is a critically endangered species of fish in the cichlid family. It is endemic to Lake Bermin in Cameroon. It is threatened by pollution and sedimentation from human activities, and potentially also by large emissions of carb ...
'' (Stiassny, Schliewen & Dominey, 1992)
* ''Coptodon walteri
''Coptodon'' is a genus of cichlids native to fresh, brackish and coastal marine waters in Africa with ''C. zillii'' also found in the Middle East. It is the only genus in the tribe Coptodonini. Formerly included in ''Tilapia'', this genus and tr ...
'' (Thys van den Audenaerde, 1968)
* ''Coptodon zillii
The redbelly tilapia (''Coptodon zillii'', syn. ''Tilapia zillii''), also known as the Zille's redbreast tilapia or St. Peter's fish (a name also used for other tilapia in Israel), is a species of fish in the cichlid family. This fish is found ...
'' (Gervais Gervais may refer to:
People
* Gervais (name), list of people with the given name or surname
Places
* Gervais, Oregon
* Gervais Lake, a lake in Minnesota
* Gervais Township, Minnesota
* Gervais Road, part of 170 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
...
, 1848) (redbelly tilapia)
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q14773761
Pseudocrenilabrinae