Lake Rukwa Tilapia

The fish is silver-gray in color with a bluish snout and 6–7 vertical stripes past the operculum that are often only visible when freshly caught. Mating males are darker, almost black, with dorsal and caudal fins marked with red or orange at the margins. The dorsal fin has 15–17 spines and 11–13 soft rays; the anal fin has three spines and 10–11 soft rays. It is a deep-bodied fish with a small head. It has a maximum length of 33 centimetres (13 in) in standard length.

This species is only found in the Lake Rukwa drainage basin, in both lakes and rivers, primarily in Tanzania. It is an important target of commercial fishing. It is assessed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List; its population is declining due to overfishing, urban waste water pollution, and agricultural runoff; the species also faces habitat fragmentation.