Hoards of ‘alien‘ fish are causing a nightmare for fishermen as the species is breeding in the millions. The unusual-looking fish has become the only of its kind that locals can catch.
Multiplying at an alarming rate, the blackchin tilapia females have a huge amount of eggs inside their bodies when caught while the males caught are too holding eggs in their mouths in Thailand.
The species has barrelled into the Samut Prakan province where locals are urging organisations to get things under control, reports the Bangkok Post. It’s as fishermen are struggling to catch any other types.
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Fishermen in Tambon Khlong Dan say the invasive ‘alien’ fish species is the only kind of fish they can catch in local waterways and other species, such as other kinds of tilapia, have nearly enough disappeared from the waters.
Pisamon Srisin, 75, said she started to see blackchin tilapia in tambon Khlong Dan last month. She can now catch no other kind of fish but the tough to eat blackchin species – although it is still edible.
(Image: Wikipedia)
Thanaporn Jiansuk, president of the Khlong Dan Fishery Association, said blackchin tilapia breed very fast. It takes just 22 days from the egg-laying stage to hatching with as many as 99% of the eggs hatching overall.
They also eat every hour and statistics suggested that the fish could reproduce one million babies a day throughout the country. As their population has grown in recent years, native species have decreased in numbers.
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