any mouthbrooding cichlid fish of the African freshwater genus Tilapia: used as food fishes
Word origin
C18: from New Latin
tilapia in American English
(təˈlɑpiə; təˈleɪpiə)
noun
any of a genus (Tilapia) of African cichlid fishes, often introduced into lakes or rivers because they are valuable food fishes that control the growth of algae