| Name | Vleikurper, also known as: Banded Tilapia |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Tilapia Sparrmanii |
| Description | The colours of this fish specie can range from silver to olive-green, with the sexually mature fish invariably olive- green. They can have up to nine vertical stripes of a darker green or black. During the breeding season, both sexes of the Vlei kurper become more colourful and the vertical stripes become dark to black. They have a roundish body, small head, round tail and its dorsal fin is the most forgiving of all the tilapia species in terms of causing injuries to predators Typical to the tilapia species the Vleikurper has pronounced fins that has sharp and pointy edges, especially the dorsal fins, with greenish bands down it's body, which distinguishes this fish from other tilapia species. |
| Weight | The adult vleikurper can reach a maximum of 500 grams. |
| Length | These fish don't get too big. |
| Habitat | This kurper species is found widespread throughout South Africa. They favour areas where plant cover exists along the edges of rivers, dams, lakes or swamps. They prefer shallow warmer sheltered waters and do not colonize the open water of large lakes. |
| Fishing Strategy | The Vlei Kurpers can be easily caught using earthworm, a small curly tail grub or a small spinner. On ultra light tackle a big Vlei can give you a great fight for their small size. The older of these species’ diet will consist mainly of plants but when they are aggressively feeding you may still get some of the bigger ones to take your worm or spinner bait. |
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