And I think to myself, what a wonderful’ fish. Tilapia nilotica, fish of the Nile, plays a fascinating historical role. Evidence, in the form of hieroglyphic paintings and carvings suggest that not only was tilapia harvested by ancient Egyptians, tilapia was the food of many Pharaohs. Because biblical tradition holds that tilapia was the fish Jesus multiplied and fed to the masses, some have come to know tilapia as St. Peter’s Fish or Wonder Fish.