Larger, longer-lived predatory fish tend to accumulate more mercury because they eat other fish and remain in the environment for longer periods.
Tilapia is different.
According to FDA monitoring data, tilapia had a mean mercury concentration of approximately 0.013 ppm in the agency’s historical commercial-fish dataset.
The FDA’s consumer guidance subsequently categorizes tilapia as a Best Choice fish based on its relatively low
mercury level.
So the claim that people should avoid tilapia because it is a particularly high-mercury fish is not supported by the FDA’s data.
That doesn’t mean contamination is impossible.
Fish can be exposed to environmental contaminants depending on where they are raised or caught.
But that is a broader seafood-safety issue—not evidence that tilapia as a species is inherently toxic.
There is another reason tilapia sometimes receives criticism.
Compared with oily fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel, tilapia is relatively lean and provides less of the long-chain omega-3
