The Tilapia is a fresh or brackish water fish that is indigenous to Africa and the Mediterranean region and is know to have been farm raised as far back as ancient Egypt.

Tilapia belong to a family of fish called Cichlids and those of us that are aquarium enthusiasts will recognize their close relatives, Angel Fish, Oscars and Jack Dempseys.

Two major reasons for this fishes popularity are its un-fishy, mild flavor and affordable price. Tilapia is considered sustainable thanks to its herbivore eating habits, dining on plankton, algae and other vegetable matter. As a result Tilapia does not accumulate pollutants and other toxins in their bodies. On fish farms Tilapia are fed mostly on grain and are also prone to be toxin free.

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Tilapia is rapidly becoming one of the most popular food fish in the United States; with the National Marine Fisheries Service ranking it fifth most consumed seafood. In fact, American's annual consumption of Tilapia has overtaken many species including Trout as most important farmed seafood product.

Tilapia is a hardy fish that will thrive in outdoor ponds or high-tech tank systems using several different filter types to cleanse and recycle water. The fish is fed high-quality, grain based pellets to produce its mild flavored filet. Tilapias are also very fast growing in farm situations which make them a profitable choice for the fish farmers. Similar in appearance to Bream, Tilapia are produced with a wide range of skin colors, black to dark blue to brilliant golden red. This skin is also utilized as an attractive, unique leather in some countries which is used in products such as wallets and shoes.