The Nile perch (Lates niloticus) is a species of freshwater fish native to the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger, and Lake Chad, Volta, Lake Turkana and other river basins, and is now widespread through tropical Africa. It has a large number of common names including African snook, Capitaine, Victoria perch and many local names in various African languages, such as the Luo name Mbuta. One of the largest freshwater fish, Lates niloticus reaches a maximum length of nearly two meters (more than six feet), weighing up to 200 kg. Mature fish average 121–137 cm although many fish are caught before they can grow this large.

A fierce predator that dominates its surroundings, the Nile perch feeds on fish (including its own species), crustaceans, and insects; the juveniles also feed on zooplankton. Nile perch have been introduced to many other lakes in Africa, including Lake Victoria in 1962. The Lake Victoria introduction is an often-cited example of enormous effect of a non-native species upon its new surroundings, as Nile perch decimated the rich diversity of hundreds of native species, and caused the decline or extinction of an estimated 200 chichlid fish in Lake Victoria. This highly studied introduction caused a booming fishing industry for Nile Perch which destroyed the livelihood of traditional local lake-side dwelling people and caused a chain of other high impact repercussions on the environment and economy of the area. The IUCN's (World Conservation Union) Invasive Species Specialist Group considers Lates niloticus one of the world's 100 worst invasive species. The state of Queensland in Australia levies heavy fines on anyone found in possession of a living Nile perch, since it competes directly with the native Barramundi, which is similar but does not reach the same size as the Nile perch.

The species is of great commercial importance as a food fish. The Nile perch is also popular with sport anglers as it attacks artificial fishing lures and is also raised in aquaculture.

(CABI 2011; Lipton 2003; Schofield 2012; Wikipedia 2012)

Inhabits channels, lakes and irrigation canals. Adults inhabit deep water, while juveniles are found in shallow water. 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.

Lates niloticus is widely distributed in the rivers and lakes of tropical Africa, occurring commonly in all major river basins including the Nile, Chad, Senegal, Volta and Congo.

Central Africa: In Lower Guinea it is known from the Sanaga and Cross and coastal rivers of Cameroon. It has been introduced, at unknown date, from Sudan to Congo. According to FAO (2005), it is naturally reproducing and established. However, the species is native in the Congo River basin. Except for records from its natural distribution within the Lower Guinea province, no museum records are available.

Eastern Africa: This species is present in Lake Albert, the Albert and Murchison Niles and Turkana. It is now fully established in Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo, and the Victoria Nile, through introductions. According to Hartley (1984) an unpublicised introduction of L. niloticus took place in Lake Naivasha in the early 1970s and since the early 1980s several perch have been caught. No information is available on its present status but probably the species did not establish in the lake.

Northern Africa: It is common in the Delta, Lower and This species is known from upper Egyptian Nile, as well as Lakes Wadi El-Rayan and Burollos, and Nozha Hydrodrome. It is present in the brackish waters of Lake Mariout, near Alexandria.

Northeast Africa: It is found throughout the Nile drainage, Lakes Chamo and Abaya as well as Baro and Tekeze basins in Ethiopia. Also Setit in Eritrea.

Western Africa: This species is found almost everywhere in West Africa. Widely distributed in the Volta basin. (Dankwa et al. 1999) Present in Black Volta, White Volta and the Oti (Dankwa 1984).

Lates niloticus (Nile perch) is widespread throughout the Ethiopian Region of Africa, occurring commonly in all major river basins including Nile, Chad, Niger, Senegal and Volta. The nilotic population penetrates northwards well into the geographical limits of the Mediterranean Region and is present in the waters of Lake Mariout situated in the Nile Delta. Southwards the distribution includes parts of the Congo Basin. The most common place to find the Nile perch is in Lake Victoria where the species was introduced in 1962.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Introduced ); ethiopian (Introduced , Native )

Africa: Widespread throughout the Ethiopian Region of Africa, occurring commonly in all major river basins including the Nile, Chad, Senegal, Volta and Congo. Present in the brackish waters of Lake Mariout, near Alexandria. Exists in Lakes Albert, Rudolph and Tana. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.

Nile perch are silver in color with a blue tinge. They have a distinctive dark black eye with a bright yellow outer ring. Nile perch are usually seen around 2-4 kg, but have been caught and seen at sizes up to 200 kg (the largest at 232 kg). They average around 85-100 cm but can grow to 193 cm. The females are generally larger than males. The preopercle and pre-orbital bones are armed with spines, with a large spine on the free edge of the operculum.

Range mass: 232 (high) kg.

Average mass: 2-4 kg.

Range length: 193 (high) cm.

Average length: 85-100 cm.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: female larger

Dorsal spines (total): 78; Dorsal soft rays (total): 1014

Maximum size: 2000 mm TL

200 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 58490)); max. published weight: 200.0 kg (Ref. 3900)

Caudal fin rounded (Ref. 4967). Pre-orbital and pre-opercular bones armed with spines; a large spine on the free edge of the operculum. Dark greyish-blue dorsally, greyish-silver on flank and ventrally (Ref. 34290).

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Freshwater

Nile perch are found in many different types of fresh water. They prefer warm, tropical waters (27°N – 7°S) where they grow to large sizes and occur in high densities. Adult Nile perch occupy all habitats in lakes and rivers (10-60 m in depth) where there is enough oxygen with the exception of rocks, swamps, and the pelagic zone. Small juveniles are restricted to shallow near-shore environments (Luna, 2002; Queensland Government, 2002).

Range depth: 0 to 60 m.

Habitat Regions: tropical ; freshwater

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams

Wetlands: marsh

Depth: 10 - 29m.
From 10 to 29 meters.

Habitat: demersal.

demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); freshwater; depth range 10 - 60 m (Ref. 34290)

Potamodromous. Migrating within streams, migratory in rivers, e.g. Saliminus, Moxostoma, Labeo. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

The diet of Nile perch consists of fishes, insects, crustacea and mollusks. The type of prey ingested by the predator depends on the predator size, prey availability and abundance within a given habitat (Ogari, 1984). Juvenile Nile perch feed on copepods, prawns in the genus Caridina, fish fry, small gastropods, and bivalves. As the fish matures and moves to greater depths haplochromine cichlids constitute over 95% of their food consumption. Occasional items found in the Nile perch's diet include smaller fish in the genera Barbus, Clarias, Haplochromis, Lates, Oreichromis, and Xenoclarias. Besides crustacean zooplankton, invertebrate prey includes snails, clams, and insects (odonate larvae, aquatic Hemiptera, mayflies in the genus Povilla, and larvae of phantom midges (Chaoborus). Fish in the genus Rastrineobola are very common in the diet in terms of occurrence, and are second to haplochromines (Acere, 1985). As Nile perch grow larger, they take larger prey. Nile perch less than 80 cm tend to feed on smaller fishes than those greater than 80 cm. This demonstrates that the predator is capable of shifting to other sizes of prey when more suitable sizes become scarce (Ogutu-Ohwayo, 1984).

Animal Foods: fish; insects; mollusks; aquatic crustaceans; zooplankton

Primary Diet: carnivore (Piscivore )

Prefers sandy bottoms but also found in rocky to muddy bottoms. Zones with vegetation in calm waters provide shelter to larvae and young (Ref. 1456). Sexual dimorphism: females larger than males (Ref. 5160). Diet directly related with its length (Ref. 4726): pelagic larvae are zooplanktivores (Ref. 1456), juveniles feed on planktonic crustaceans and insect larvae found among vegetation (Ref. 11250), adults feed mainly on smaller fish species (Alestes, Micralestes, Tilapia oreochromis, Haplochromis and shrimps (Ref. 11249). Variability of prey species is directly related to the flooding season.

The Nile perch acts as a major predator in its native and introduced habitats.

Nile perch have been observed with several different kinds of parasites, Lernea (region after the operculum), arguilids (in the gills), and various nematodes (throughout the body).

Lates niloticus preys on:
Actinopterygii
zooplankton
Mollusca
Crustacea
Insecta

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

Sporozoa Infection (Hennegya sp.). Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)

Gonad Nematodosis Disease. Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)

Ergasilus Disease 6. Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)

Dolops Infestation. Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)

Diplectanum Infestation. Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)

The growth of the Nile perch is very fast during the first year. The rate then decreases during the second, third, fourth and fifth years.

Nile perch live up to the age of 16 years. There is a higher mortality rate for males than females.

Typical lifespan

Status: wild: 16 (high) years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 7.8 years.

Nile perch are sexually dimorphic. The male has only anal and urogential openings just anterior to the anal fin, whereas the female has a genital orifice separate from the urinary opening. They become sexually mature at the age of 3 years. Males dominate the sex ratio up to 80 cm TL, while the females are dominate at 80 cm TL and above (Asila and Ogari, 1988). Ovulation takes place in the spring with the rising water temperature. Spawning is usually done in sheltered areas, but can also occur in open waters.

Breeding season: Breeding peaks from March to June.

Range number of offspring: 3,000,000 to 15,000,000.

Average number of offspring: 9,000,000.

Average time to hatching: 20 hours.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 3 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 3 years.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (External ); oviparous

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 912 days.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species. 

 
There are 7 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
 

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 7
Species: 130
Species With Barcodes: 1

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

Least Concern (LC)

Conservation Actions

The introduction of the Nile Perch to Lake Victoria has caused serious ecological problems. The richness and diversity of endemic cichlid species is rapidly declining. Over 300 native species have already been driven to extinction due to the feeding patterns of the Nile perch (Schofield, 1999). Although for the time being the strong increase of L. niloticus seems to be a favorable development for the fishing industry, the final consequences may be very serious for future fish production in the lake (Goudswaard and Witte, 1984). Since the increase of Nile perch, the accelerated decline in diversity has altered the food web structure and caused ecological changes due largely to human actions, which have profound socioeconomic effects (Kitchell and Schindler, 1997). The continuing degradation of Lake Victoria's ecological functions has serious long-term consequences for the ecosystem services it provides and may threaten social welfare in the different countries bordering its shores (Verschuren and Johnson, 2002). Also since the increase of Nile perch, smaller scale fishing companies have been hurt significantly.

The Nile perch has yielded an increase in total fishery, and fishery-related employment has increased dramatically. Since the increase of Nile perch, larger factory fishing companies have thrived greatly.

Positive Impacts: food

fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes