Preliminary studies were conducted on the exotic cichlid, Tilapia mossambica Peters to determine the possibilities of incorporating this fish into the farm ponds and lakes in the Southeast. In an 18-week experiment in concrete ponds, T. mossambica proved to be a more efficient fish than the bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus Raf. In feeding experiments T. mossambica gave 2.97 times greater growth than did the bluegill, in fertilization 1.69 times, and in manuring experiments 1.97 times greater growth than the bluegill. Food habit studies conducted revealed that planktonic forms of plants and animals made up the bulk of the diet under natural conditions. The minimum temperatures tolerated by T. mossambica were determined in a thermostatically controlled cold room. This fish ceased feeding at approximately 600 F., and deaths began at 52 to 5S 0 F. with 100 per cent mortality occurring at 47 to 490 F. The conclusion reached was that this fish cannot survive the winter conditions in most of the Southeast.
