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Latidae - - Classification -
- Latidae
- Carangaria/misc
- Teleostei
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Lates niloticus
Picture by Admassu, D.
Pictures | Stamps, coins, misc. | Google image
Picture by Admassu, D.
Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) > Carangaria/misc (Various families in series Carangaria) > Latidae (Lates perches)
Etymology: Lates: Latin, lateo, latere = to be hidden.
More on author: Linnaeus.
Etymology: Lates: Latin, lateo, latere = to be hidden.
More on author: Linnaeus.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 10 - 60 m (Ref. 34290). Tropical; 27°N - 7°S
Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri
Africa: widespread throughout the Nilo-Sudan region of Africa, occurring commonly in all major river basins including Senegal, Niger, Volta, Chad (Ref. 81285, 81652) and Nile (Ref. 3636, 28714, 81652). Found almost everywhere in West Africa, except in Gambia (Ref. 81285). Also present in the Congo basin and lakes Albert, Turkana/Rudolph and Tana (Ref. 3636). Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 75.7, range 53 - 85 cm
Max length : 200 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 58490); common length : 100.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 34290); max. published weight: 200.0 kg (Ref. 3900)
Max length : 200 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 58490); common length : 100.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 34290); max. published weight: 200.0 kg (Ref. 3900)
Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 7 - 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 14; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 9. Diagnosis: mouth large and protrusible (Ref. 28714, 81285, 81652), lower jaw (slightly) prominent (Ref. 81285, 81652). Numerous villiform teeth present in jaws, on palate (Ref. 81285, 81652) and vomer (Ref. 81652). Preorbital/lachrymal (Ref. 4967, 81652) and preopercle (Ref. 4967, 81285, 81652) denticulate. Strong, prominent opercular spine present (Ref. 4967, 81285, 81652) on free edge of opercle, and a smaller one dorsal to it (Ref. 81652). Dorsal fin divided by a deep notch into anterior spiny and posterior soft-rayed sections; anal fin with 3 spines; pelvics with a spine and situated close to the pectorals (Ref. 28714). Caudal fin rounded (Ref. 4967, 81285, 81652). Scales ctenoid, 54-74 along lateral line, followed by 6-8 pored scales on caudal-fin base; ceratobranchial (lower limb) of first gill arch with 12-14 gill rakers (Ref. 81285).
Coloration: body uniformly silvery (Ref. 81285) or dark greyish-blue dorsally, greyish-silver on flank and ventrally (Ref. 34290, 81652). Fins greyish; interior of eye conspicuously yellowish (Ref. 81285). Juveniles brownish with lighter marbling (Ref. 81285) on head and flanks (Ref. 81652).
Inhabits channels, lakes and irrigation canals (Ref. 28714, 81652). Adults inhabit deep water, while juveniles are found in shallow water (Ref. 81652). Feeds on fish especially clupeids and Alestes (Ref. 13851). Smaller fish also feed on larger crustaceans and insects; juveniles are planktivorous (Ref. 28714). Threatened due to over harvesting (Ref. 58490). No length type given but assumed to be in TL. Maximum reported size of 180.0 cm corresponding to a weight of 164 kg in Lake Albert (Ref. 81285).
Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Main reference
Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators
Teugels, G.G., C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and K. Traoré, 1988. État des connaissances sur la faune ichtyologique des bassins côtiers de Côte d'Ivoire et de l'ouest du Ghana. Rev. Hydrobiol. Trop. 21(3):221-237. (Ref. 272)
CITES
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Potential pest
Human uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes
FAO - Aquaculture systems: production; Fisheries: landings, species profile; Publication: search | FishSource |
More information
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Tools
E-book | Field guide | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Classification Tree
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Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
AFORO (otoliths) | Alien/Invasive Species database | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Aquaculture systems: production; Fisheries: landings, species profile; Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | OsteoBase: skull, spine | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD50 = 0.5006 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00977 (0.00765 - 0.01249), b=3.00 (2.94 - 3.06), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.5 ±0.8 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.17-0.19; tm=2-3).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (47 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 107 [24, 225] mg/100g; Iron = 1.42 [0.71, 3.32] mg/100g; Protein = 20 [19, 22] %; Omega3 = 0.385 [0.158, 0.967] g/100g; Selenium = 216 [57, 655] μg/100g; VitaminA = 18.9 [4.3, 99.4] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.698 [0.288, 1.528] mg/100g (wet weight); based on nutrient studies.