Tilapia in Asia. There are about 70 known species of tilapia, of which 10 have been used in aquaculture. All tilapia are native to Africa. The Asia and Pacific region has no native tilapia and no native fish species with comparable attributes to tilapia for aquaculture. The first tilapia introduced from Africa to Asia were small populations of the Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), sent from East Africa to Indonesia as aquarium fish. In 1939, O. mossambicus was first used in fresh- and brackishwater fishponds in Java