Help With Fish Identification

[yaknar]

A friend of mine caught this fish below Springfield Lake dam last week. I have caught a few fish in my time but never caught one that looks like this. So I thought I would post the picture here so all the master anglers can tell me what it is, it was about 9 inches long.......or should I go to a pet store and ask them?

[bfishn]

Tilapia

[MOPanfisher]

Sure does appear to be a tilapia.

[Johnsfolly]

15 minutes ago, yaknar said:

A friend of mine caught this fish below Springfield Lake dam last week. I have caught a few fish in my time but never caught one that looks like this. So I thought I would post the picture here so all the master anglers can tell me what it is, it was about 9 inches long.......or should I go to a pet store and ask them?

I agree with bfishin and MOPanfisher, Looks like a tilapia. That is an "oh crap" kind of catch for Missouri. Here is a statement from the state of Texas - "To help control populations there should be an encouragement to fish blue tilapia with no intentions of “catch and release”. "

[tjm]

1 hour ago, Johnsfolly said:

That is an "oh carp" kind of catch

 

[bfishn]

My first encounter with them was below Bagnell back in the '90s. Caught a dozen in about 10 minutes. Must have been hundreds there.

My second experience was a misunderstood order I placed at a local taco joint. Not sure how you get 'tilapia ala diabla' from 'camarones ala diabla', but they did.

Neither experience was particularly enjoyable.

[Johnsfolly]

20 minutes ago, tjm said:

 

I knew as soon as I hit send that this would become a possible carp rewrite😌.

I guess all that I can say is...

BRUHAHAHA

[tjm]

I think maybe    hope the cold will prevent tilapia from becoming carp like invasives but still sucks what pet owners will turn loose. Carp have been such a success that they come to mind any time I think invasive.

[MoCarp]

Cold-weather  water temps under 50° probably not have any of them live  Long

back when I lived in Texas many times would  have the tilapia die out because it got too cold for a while

down  there they plant Florida largemouth and tilapia in a lot of the ponds

[Basfis]

22 minutes ago, MoCarp said:

Cold-weather  water temps under 50° probably not have any of them live  Long to do that back when I lived in Texas many times upon would  have the tilapia dye out because it got too cold for a while down there they plant Florida largemouth and tilapia in a lot of the ponds

What color when they dye?