Tilapia Valentino: A true lover of female specie

By February 19, 2019Headlines, News

“THE true Valentino fish is tilapia”, says Dr. Westly Rosario, chief of the BFAR-National Integrated Technology Fisheries Development Center in Dagupan City.

“Their breeding behavior is comparable to humans, although the fish seems to be more responsible,“ he quipped.

Rosario described that a tilapia attains sexual maturity in 3 to 4 months and during this stage, the males are bulkier. Their color changes from dark to almost black. The edges of their fins become red, while the throat-abdomen area turns yellow.

At this stage, the male tilapia is hot to court females, like a teenager wearing a black suit over a red shirt and smarting with a yellow tie, added Rosario.

Each male builds its own nest that looks similar to a ‘wok’ frying pan. Small males build smaller nests in shallow areas. Big ones build bigger nests in deeper areas.

Too hot and attractive in its spawning regalia suit, the male tilapia swims around his nest like a person dancing with fancy steps, to attract the attention of the females.

Females who happen to notice and get attracted to the male begin to swim gracefully, in the vicinity of the nest. The male reciprocating the attention lovingly swim around the nest with the females.

After the courting, the female goes at the center of the nest and lays its precious eggs one at a time, until the last egg. As maternal instincts dictate, the same female begins picking up the eggs into its mouth.

Before the picking of the eggs is finished, the male positions its papilla (sex organ) beside the remaining eggs. Then the female tries to pick the papilla of the male thinking that it is one of her eggs.

The excitement caused by the rubbing is enough for the male tilapia to release milt or sperms. This act fertilizes the eggs in the mouth of the female tilapia. 

The female tilapia, now a mother, swims away to take care of her eggs and later, fry (mouthbrood). Other females undergo the same romantic ritual with the male. The male tilapia is polygamous and can mate with more than 10 females.

Males also choose their mate. Female tilapia that fails the interest of the male are gently shooed away, so they can find another interesting male. (Jojo Rinoza)

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