Résumé
The euryhaline black-chinned tilapia (Sarotherodon melanotheron, Rüppell, 1852) has long been recognised as a valuable local resource in West African aquaculture and artisanal fisheries. Its production contributes to food security, the local economy and farmer’s incomes. Initial research on this species focused on understanding its biology and ecology in the field and in controlled conditions, and then on evaluating and improving practices to increase local production. More recently, the scope of this research has expanded to include investigations integrating molecular approaches in wild populations, such as population genetics and genomics studies, as well as ecophysiological and functional transcriptomics. Additionally, issues related to climate change have been incorporated. In the range of the black-chinned tilapia, the increase in salinity observed in so-called ‘inverse estuaries’ in Senegal, where hypersaline conditions of up to 130 psu may prevail throughout the year, has attracted significant attention. Even for a euryhaline species such as S. melanotheron, such conditions impose substantial energetic costs, resulting in observed phenotypic and adaptive changes to the fish’s biological and life-history traits. Salinity is a major issue in tilapia aquaculture. Improved production could be achieved by selecting strains from populations that are tolerant to salinity, or by hybridising with less tolerant tilapia species that demonstrate better growth performance. This study reviews and summarises knowledge acquired on S. melanotheron over several decades, paying particular attention to the northern subspecies, S. m. heudelotii. Current research limitations consist of: (i) the status of the species itself, comprising subspecies that are still too poorly characterized; (ii) the interaction between salinity and other parameters, particularly hypoxia; (iii) the impact of climate change on the entire species range, involving multiple environmental parameters in Western Africa; and (iv) limited access to resources in Africa, hindering local and regional development.