How to Identify Tilapia Fish
Tilapia is the name used for over a hundred species of fish that often come in colors of black or red. According the About Tilapia website, tilapia that are consumed in the United States mostly are cultivated from Brazil, Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia and Ecuador. Even though there are many different types of tilapia you can easily identify them from other fish by examining its features. Tilapias are known for having long dorsal fins with a sharp spine and spines near the pelvis and anal areas of the fish.
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Instructions
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Keep the fish in healthy fresh water after catching one. Make the container you use to hold the fish shallow enough to prevent the fish flopping out. Also, make sure you have enough light around you to properly examine the fish.
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Examine the general profile of this fish, which is skinny and deep-bodied. The size of the tilapia will vary depending on the species and where you are fishing.
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Find the upper dorsal fin that all tilapia have. Run your fingers over the head until you reach the top fin. A tilapia will have no dents or gaps in its top fin.
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Continue following the fin to make sure it extends past the tail. The tail end, or wrist, is the scaly area before the tail fin. The end of the top dorsal fin should also be pointed. Move your hand to bottom fin near the tail to make sure it also is pointed and is past the tail wrist.
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Move your hand to the bottom front of the fish to find the thin belly fin. This fin should be long enough to touch the bottom fin that is near the tail. If you find all of these features you will have identified the fish as a tilapia.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider printing out a generic picture of the fish to help you identify it when you catch one. Also, you can purchase an encyclopedia or fish identifier pocket book.
