Common Fish of Zambia

 Popular Zambian Fish

Zambia, a landlocked country in the south central hemisphere of Africa, despite no access to a sea port has been blessed with four large rivers, four main lake bodies, plenty wetlands and a couple man-made dams. As such most fish consumed in Zambia are fresh water fish and Zambia has over 409 different species and sub species of fish. Of these species the most consumed are from the following families, the Limnothrissa miodon (Sardines/Kapenta), cichlids (Tilapia&Bream), Lates angustifrons (Buka Buka), Mormyrids (Mintesa) and Clarias gariepinus (Catfish).

Kapenta, Mintesa and Buka fish are fish found mostly in the lake tanganyika and Kariba and of the three fish, the Kapenta fish have been grown by commercial fisheries and not grown on a small scale. The other two, Buka and Mintesa which are endemic and only found in the Bangweulu complex, Lake Mweru and lake Tanganyika, are hardly produced commercially. The other common fish, Tilapia, bream and catfish are grown commercially and can also be found in local water bodies.  So the focus of this article will attempt to give a brief overview of Tilapia/Breams and Catfish grown by small scale (10-30Kg /acre/Year) to emergent small holder fish farms (20-40Kg /acre/Year).

Tilapia & Bream

The term tilapia is used for all fish of the Cichlid family that looks like the original genius of Tilapia. Tilapia fall into two genera: Oreochromis and Tilapia. Oreochromis females brood their eggs in their mouth, while Tilapia usually lay their eggs in substrate like shallow sand /mud holes, grass or caves/crevices, with male fish guarding and brooding the eggs. With this said, the terms Tilapia and Breams are often words used interchangeable for these fish in the cichlids family  that tend to have a similar look and taste. However, the two are indeed different, with Tilapia being a plant and sediment eater and Breams being more predatory and eating small fish and worms. For the purpose of this article the word Tilapia will be used to encompass both tilapia and breams.

With that said, Tilapia is considered a fast growing fresh water fish and is a very common fish to grow in Zambia. As earlier mentioned there are different tilapia and they come in a variety of species. The most common species farmed in Zambia are; the three spotted Tilapia scientifically known as (Oreochromis Andersonii), green headed bream (Oreochromis Machrochir), the red breasted Tilapia (Coptodon Rendalli) and the Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus). The different species are important to know as they have subtle but important differences in their growth, breeding and behavioural patterns significant to fish farming practices for the best results.

Three Spotted Tilapia (Oreochromis Andersonii)

This fish was named after a swede, Charles John Anderson, who explored the Namibias in the middle of the 19^th century. The three spot prefers fast flowing brackish fresh waters but has been known to be found in swamps as well. As the name would suggest the three spotted tilapia usually has 3 or 4 noticeable mid-lateral darker coloured blotches splashed against lighter coloured scales and a red margin on dorsal and tail fins. It can reach a maximum length of 61 Cm and weigh up to 4.7Kg with a maximum life span of 13 years. O. Andersonii survive in temperatures as low as 14 ° C and maximum of 33° C. With ideal temperatures between 26-28° C.

Green Headed Bream (Oreochromis Machrochir) 

The Greenhead Tilapia (Oreochromis machrochir) mostly found in lake Mweru, locally called ‘pale’ which are found in the quiet waters along floodplains, feeding on microscopic foods, such as algae. As the name would suggest the Greenhead Tilapia has a greenish head that is round and steep, with long pictorial fins and dark speck dots on its body and red eyes. They can grow to about 43 cm. In the summer the female are known to mouth brood the eggs and small fry.  The Greenhead Tilapia is now considered a vulnerable species as it is being threatened by the involuntary introduction of (Alien) Nile Tilapia that tends to be invasive in nature. It can survive in temperatures of 18° C to 35° C. 

The Red Breasted Tilapia (Coptodon Rendalli)

The Red breast Tilapia (Coptodon Rendalli) as the name would suggest has a red belly and has a dark olive green head. However the fish is also known to have brownish body colour and white belly with tints of red. It usually has 5 to 6 stripes and a red margin on its dorsal fin. It grows to a size of about 45Cm and can weigh as much as 2.5Kg. Red Breasted Tilapia prefer swampy waters, river banks and high vegetative areas with slow currents. This helps them feed on leaves, stem, algae and insects. They can withstand temperatures of 8° C to 41° C. Unlike other tilapia that are mouth brooders, the red breasted tilapia pair up to raise their young in substrate. Because they are mainly herbivorous they are often used to clean out weed infested water bodies in which they thrive. 

Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus)

The Nile Tilapia is an exotic species to Zambia with its origins in the north of Africa in the Nile rivers. The Nile tilapia is Bronze to grey/silver with bands across its body and pinkish-red posterior margin. Its tail usually has vertical stripes. It can grow up to 60Cm and weigh 4.3Kg. They are omnivorous and usually feeds on plankton, algae, plant matter, insect larvae and sometimes smaller fish. They can survive temperatures of 8° C to 42° C. It is a resilient species that can survive in many different types of water body conditions but cannot survive long in salt water. It is a very invasive species which grows fast and threatens other Tilapia species in its territory.

Catfish (Clarias Gariepinus)

The Clarias Gariepinus fish is also called African mud catfish. As the name in tells they are native to Africa and have been exported to other countries for farming purposes. It is silver to grey in colour and slender in nature. They sport 2 pairs of barbels (that are whisker like appendages) above their mouth. They eat a variety of foods ranging from plants, insects, larvae and other fish and fish remains. They tend to display carnivorous behaviour. It is a very resilient fish that can stand long periods out of water and can with stand temperatures between 8° C to 35° C. They can reach 90Cm long, with a lifespan of 15 years and even reach a maximum weight of 60Kg.

Game Fishing

It should be noted that Zambia is also known for its great fishing camps for those interested in fishing for sport and has been known to draw avid anglers from around the world; with those hoping to catch species like the Tiger fish. There is no doubt that one could be tempted by the beautiful landscapes and waters of fishing hubs such as those in the Lower Zambezi and Kafue National parks.

Keep in mind, this is not an exhaustive list of fish species found in Zambia but rather some of the more common and locally known species. With Tilapia being the most popular chosen for farming and commercial supply and Catfish slowly getting popular in the fish farming sectors of Zambia.Fish farming is a good business venture for those thinking of pursuing it and for those doing it for sport there are an endless list of fishing camps and resorts to pick from. 

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