Oreochromis variabilis
| Victoria tilapia | |
|---|---|
| O. variabilis, male, from Makobe Island in Lake Victoria, Tanzania | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cichliformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Genus: | Oreochromis |
| Species: | O. variabilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Oreochromis variabilis (Boulenger, 1906) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Oreochromis variabilis, the Victoria tilapia, is a species of African cichlid native to Lake Victoria and its tributaries, Lake Kyoga, Lake Kwania, and Lake Bisina (Salisbury), as well as being found in the Victoria Nile above Murchison Falls. This species can reach a standard length of 30 cm (12 in). This species is important to local commercial fisheries and is potentially important in aquaculture. It is also found in the aquarium trade.
Despite its common name, it is not the only tilapia native to Lake Victoria. The equally threatened O. esculentus has a similar distribution.