<Tr> <Td> Mozambique tilapia </Td> <Td> Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters, 1852) </Td> <Td> 39 cm </Td> <Td> 35 cm </Td> <Td> 1.130 kg </Td> <Td> 11 years </Td> <Td> 2.0 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Near threatened </Td> </Tr> <P> Farmed tilapia production is about 1,500,000 tonnes (1,500,000 long tons; 1,700,000 short tons) annually with an estimated value of US $1.8 billion, about equal to that of salmon and trout . </P> <P> Unlike carnivorous fish, tilapia can feed on algae or any plant - based food . This reduces the cost of tilapia farming, reduces fishing pressure on prey species, avoids concentrating toxins that accumulate at higher levels of the food chain and makes tilapia the preferred "aquatic chickens" of the trade . </P> <P> Because of their large size, rapid growth, and palatability, tilapiine cichlids are the focus of major farming efforts, specifically various species of Oreochromis, Sarotherodon, and Tilapia, collectively known colloquially as tilapia . Like other large fish, they are a good source of protein and popular among artisanal and commercial fisheries . Most such fisheries were originally found in Africa, but outdoor fish farms in tropical countries, such as Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Indonesia, are underway in freshwater lakes . In temperate zone localities, tilapiine farming operations require energy to warm the water to tropical temperatures . One method uses waste heat from factories and power stations . </P>

Where can tilapia be caught in the wild