Been fishing my entire life and never caught one nor seen them. They are sitting on spawning beds in a pond I fish. I have caught a few over 14". I'm in Houston

That sir is a Oreochromis mossambicus aka Mozambique tilapia. They are great eating if the pond is clean.

Delicious. Great for fish tacos

Here's another photo illustrating the odd shape and fin coloration. How would these end up down here in texas ?


http://i60.tinypic.com/2yobf6a.jpg

Yep you're correct. Thanks !

Lake Houston has been full of BIG tilapia for the last few years. They don't do well in cold water and this winter there were large masses of dead tilapia floating in the north end of the lake. They should be back in full swing by mid/late summer.

Not tryin' to be a "lousy splitter," here...but....

Them there tilapathias is not zackly O. mossambicus......

Most likely Heinz 57's....as tilapia, like so many other farm animals have been hybridized, cross bred, back crossed, etc. into what can only be described as "Mostly mossambique," or "Almost aurea." The ones in the photos are more O. aurea or O. nilotica than O. massambicus.

In Texas because the rules are so crazy, all tilapias are marketed as "O. mossambicus." Hopefully that confusion will change soon as tilapia will be defined as the group of fishes they are and not just one single species.

Like so many other animals farmed for food or other purposes, (cows, pigs, chickens, horses, goats, sheep, carp, etc.) some have escaped and become a part of the local ecology. That they are considered any different than any other non-native species (like all farm animals, and white or black people) is only a function of timing (fish are not as long domesticated as say, pigs) and politics (fish are "different" than other animals to many people, and they are passionate about their favorites types-as seen here).

Basically, tilapia were brought to Texas in the fifties and sixties by various groups, including state and federal authorities and commercial interests, for bait, food, and sport. The main difference between them and common carp is that they are intolerant of cold, and less likely to ever have as wide a range. Other than that, they, like cows, horses, pigs, fire ants and us, are here to stay.

Cool thanks for the info!

Wow, great photo of it! At least you won't have to buy store brand tilapia any more!

Just to a add some more conversation... They are illegal to be in possession of alive, if you catch one on public waters you are supposed to kill it. Do not transport them alive. At least that's my understanding and that's the rules of the lakes down here in south Texas.

I think rule is your not supposed to release them back. Not kill them instantly. Then you'll have dead fish in your boat and throwing a whole dead fish back is considered pollution and can result in a fine.

I was curious so I looked it up, it says "immediately remove the intestines". So I wonder if you can get in trouble if you throwing them away or back into the lake dead? Odd rule.