MORPHOMETRIC, MERISTIC AND BREEDING BIOLOGY OF Tilapia zillii (Pisces,  Cichlidae) IN LAKE TEMACINE (NORTHERN SAHARA, ALGERIA)

C GHAZI; A SI BACHIR; M. T IDDER

C GHAZI Université de Kasdi Merbah -Ouargla, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Département des Sciences Biologiques
A SI BACHIR Université El Hadj Lakhdar - Batna , , Faculté des Sciences, Département des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie de la Nature et de la Vie.
M. T IDDER Université de Kasdi Merbah -Ouargla, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Département des Sciences Biologiques.

Résumé

Biometric examination of 55 specimens of Tilapia zillii captured in Lake Temacine shows that males are more or less larger than females. By cons, meristic characters considered are invariable in sex function. The overall sex ratio is in favor of males (1: 0.33). It varies with time and size classes, but this variation revealed no statistical significance. Spawning is split in time; it is very intense during the warm period (March to July). In addition, the males mature earlier than females, where the size at first maturity of females corresponds to a total length of 66 mm, against 61 mm for males.