The Tilapia (Tilapia mossimbica) is a fast growing fish which is native to Israel and Africa. This fast growing species used to be a pest in Indonesia until they started to use them as a food source. Tilapias are predators, scavengers, and herbivores. They eat algae, plants, and sometimes o'opu, Hawaii's endemic fish.

Tilapia was introduced to Hawaii to eat up our aquatic weeds in reservoirs, ditches, and canals. Instead, the Tilapia grew in such large numbers that instead of eating our aquatic weeds, they started to eat our local fishes. You can see a lot of talapia in Kaelepulu Pond.