Tilapia Key Terms

Tilapia key terms educate diners on a popular fish, its past and nutritional value
By Stella Stewart Tilapia key terms provide plenty of information about a fish with many unique qualities. Nutritionists often advise the public to eat fish because many are a great source of important vitamins and minerals. The experts also note that fish rarely has the fat content of a juicy steak or a tasty cheeseburger.

Tilapia is different from the most prominent fish recommendations of experts on nutrition. Doctors, dieticians and other medical professionals often mention salmon and tuna as valuable sources of important nutritional elements. Tilapia is a general name for a wide variety of different fish of the same species in scientific terms.

St. Peter's fish

The Bible contains a story of the loaves and the fishes, and some believe that tilapia which inhabits the Sea of Galilee was the type of fish used in this parable. In another Biblical story, St. Peter caught a fish with a shekel in its mouth that the fisherman could use to pay taxes. Many people now refer to tilapia as St. Peter's fish because of these two stories.
Try:  A newspaper from the Florida Keys, Keys News, has information on the nickname of the popular fish tilapia.

Aquaculture

Scientists constantly find new ways to produce food under controlled conditions, and tilapia are an important component in some of these endeavors. An aquaculture is a managed environment that scientists design with carefully chosen plants and fish for optimum harvests of food for human consumption. Tilapia is ideal for these efforts because many people love these fish for a nutritious meal, and these tasty fish have good qualities that make them thrive in an aquaculture environment.
Try:  The MorningStar Fishermen has information on aquaculture and tilapia.

Aquaponics

Experts use aquaponics to maintain a perfect environment for the organisms present in the system. In other words, the scientists choose and control the plants, fish, micro organisms and other elements to raise the fish and cultivate the plants for harvesting. Aquaponic farmers design the system so the waste from the fish provides the nutrients for the plants, and the plants act to make the water perfect for the fish.
Try:  Organic Aquaponics details the use of tilapia in aquaponic projects.

Artisanal fisheries

Tilapia is a type of fish that has had a significant role in artisanal fisheries. Artisanal fisheries are commercial ventures that are usually located in coastal waters to raise fish for food. The fishermen who take fish from artisanal fisheries use traditional methods such as a rod and reel, and they usually provide a better price for their local customers.
Try:  Copemed Project has extensive information on all aspects of artisanal fisheries.

Chichild fish

Tilapia come from a family of fish known as chichild fish which includes more than a thousand species of fish. The other fish of the species like tilapia are favorites for food while some are the most beautiful aquarium fish including angelfish and oscars. Some of the distinctive characteristics of this fish family include an unusual jaw and tooth structure.
Try:  Chichild Lovers has details about many of the fish in this family of fish.

Invasive species

Tilapia fish are an invasive species in some environments where they do not naturally belong and harm the other organisms in that location. Human beings are usually the culprits when a fish is an invasive species and this is the case with tilapia in certain locations. Although tilapia are native to parts of Africa and the Levant, people have deliberately or accidentally placed these fish in environments where they thrive to the detriment of other organisms.
Try:  The Aquatic Community has details of invasive species.