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.[3] It is known as the redbreast kurperinSouth Africa.[4]
C. rendalli grows to a maximum length of 45 cm and a maximum weight of 2.5 kg, and possesses a high-backed, sideways oblate body. Its body height is 42.2 to 49.4% of its standard length, and its head length is 31.1% to 37.5% of standard length. The top of its head is convex, or sometimes concave in large specimen due to the continued growth of the mouth region. Its mouth is studded with short, wide, thick, two-pointed teeth. Their lower pharyngeal jaw is as wide as it is long. Its toothed back area is longer than its front area. Seven to 10 gill raker streams are located on the lower branch of its first gill arch.
Its head and rump are olive-green on top and paler on the sides. Like all members of the genus Coptodon, its breast and belly are often tinted red. The flanks display a few lateral ligaments. Its olive-green dorsal fin possesses a red rim and white to grey spots on the soft streamed section.
Fin formula: dorsal XIV–XVII/10–13, anal III/9–10
Scale formula: SL 28–32, 3–5 rows of scales on the sides of the head
C. rendalli mainly lives near river banks, in oxbow lakes, and swamps. It prefers densely vegetated areas and still waters with small amounts of current. The species has a high temperature tolerance (8 – 41 °C) and also withstands brackish water with a salt content of up to 1.9%. The young fish live on plankton; adults, like all members of the genus Coptodon, are primarily herbivores and eat algae and taller plants, as well as insects and smaller crustaceans.
^Dunz, Andreas R.; Schliewen, Ulrich K. (July 2013). "Molecular phylogeny and revised classification of the Haplotilapiine Cichlid fishes formerly referred to as "Tilapia"". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 68 (1): 64–80. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.03.015. PMID23542002.
^Poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres de basse Guinée, ouest de l'Afrique centrale = The fresh and brackish water fishes of Lower Guinea, West-Central Africa. Stiassny, Melanie L. J., Teugels, Guy G., Hopkins, Carl D., American Museum of Natural History. Paris, France: Institut de recherche pour le développement. 2007. ISBN9782709916202. OCLC216917073.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
