Cichlidae

Common Natron tilapia

Oreochromis alcalicus

Local morph has upturned mouth

• Tropical
• Regional distribution
• Freshwater fish
• Africa
• Deep-bodied
• Compressed cross-section
• Small
• Tropical fish

Alcolapia alcalica, the common natron tilapia or soda cichlid, is an endangered species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is endemic to the hypersaline, warm Lake Natron in Ngorongoro District of Arusha Region, its drainage and the Shombole Swamps in Kenya and Tanzania. This species typically has an essentially terminal (straight) mouth, but a morph with an upturned mouth is found locally in eastern Lake Natron, where it co-occurs with the normal morph.