Species #109 — Blue Tilapia

Singing the blues was fun.

Species: Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis aureus)
Location: Gila River, Phoenix, Arizona
Date: November 16, 2017

I knew Redbelly Tilapia weren’t the only exotic cichlids present in the Gila River, so I continued fishing, being careful to check every one of the 23 Redbellies I caught for signs of being either Blue or Nile Tilapia, both of which can be found in the Phoenix area.

Eventually, I found one that looked just a little different. It was less rounded and and had a more pointed snout, plus its tail was heavily patterned.

Immediate differences are hard to spot. Both Redbelly Tilapia (above) and Blue Tilapia (below) have prominent dorsal fins and faint vertical stripes, but the face of the Blue Tilapia is more steeply sloped or pointed as opposed to rounded and the tail is always patterned, whereas a Redbelly has a rounded face and solid-colored caudal fin.

Challenge completed, I began looking for other species. The river contains Sailfin Molly and a few other micros, but I had yet to start microfishing at this point. I’d purchased a pack of New Half Moon hooks to get the painfully easy Western Mosquitofish, but I left them at home.

It would be another month before I got to try microfishing for real.

So instead of micros, I looked for the “Plecos” that were supposed to be in the Gila because at least I had a shot, if a long one. No dice.

At 50 fish, I stopped for the day and headed back because I had some work responsibilities to attend to.

#SpeciesQuest // #CaughtOvgard

Read the next entry in #SpeciesQuest here: Species #110 — Nile Tilapia.