Hawaiian Gold Tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus
Hawaiian Gold Tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus. Fish caught from a garden pond within the Mayan Palace complex, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, April 2015. Length: 15 cm (5.9 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of George Brinkman, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
The Hawaiian Gold Tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus, is a member of the Cichlid and Tilapia or Cichlidae Family, that is also known as the Golden Tilapia and the Lucky Golden Fish (and believed to bring fortune to businesses), and in Mexico as tilapia del Hawaii. This fish is actually a yellow variant of the Mozambique Tilapia that was developed by the Hawaiian’s for its beauty. As a result of human introduction, they are now found on a limited basis in several global warm weather locations. Globally, there are thrity-two species in the genus Oreochromis, of which four are found in the majority of freshwater systems within Mexico. The Hawaiian Gold Tilapia has only been introduced into Mexico fairly recently.
The Hawaiian Gold Tilapia has an overall “bluegill” profile with a deep compressed body. Pure bread species are a uniform golden color with an orange tint. They have a mid-sized head and small eyes. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 9 or 10 rays; their caudal fin is rounded; and their dorsal fin is continuous with a long base and has 15 to 18 spines and 10 to 13 soft rays. They have 16 to 22 gill rakers on their first arch. Their lateral line is interrupted and their body is covered with cycloid scales.
The Hawaiian Gold Tilapia is extremely hardy and grow quickly to 40 cm (16 inches) in length. They are very tolerant of poor water quality, pollution, low oxygen conditions, and temperatures between 24oC (75oF) and 37oC (98oF), and are disease resistant, however, they cannot survive in water temperatures below 21oC (70oF) making them of limited interest in the United States (except for Hawaii). The maximum recorded length is 40 cm (16 inches) and they weigh up to 1.1 kg (2.5 lbs). They are opportunistic omnivores consuming diatoms, invertebrates, small fry, and vegetation ranging from macroalgae to rooted plants to decaying plant material. They are active diurnally. Their behavioral patterns are not well documented but they are assumed to be very similar to or identical to the Mozambique Tilapia.
The Hawaiian Gold Tilapia is a resident of most of Mexico’s freshwater systems and where they are absent they will soon be present.
The Hawaiian Gold Tilapia cannot be confused with any other species due to its uniform coloration.
From a conservation perspective the Hawaiian Gold Tilapia has not been formally evaluated but they should be considered to be of Least Concern with increasing widely distributed populations. They are readily available on the internet in batches of 25 to 500 one-inch fish at a price of approximately $2.00 per fish. They are recommended for first-time small scale aquaculturists. They are a very easy tilapia strain to breed and maintain due to their environmental adaptability noting the temperature limits for this fish. Fish that are golden with black spots are deemed of poor quality. They can also be used for the development of sustainable food systems. The Hawaiian Gold Tilapia is utilized mostly as ornamental fish and placed in small ponds within large gardens. They are also sold on a very limited basis is some of the Asian markets in Southern California with farmed fish presumably imported from Hawaii. Due to their bright and aesthetically pleasing color they command higher prices than Mozambique Tilapia.