Moon Fish

Diagnosis: 59-77 lateral line scales (Ref. 28714, 81281). Body depth 1.6-1.9x and head length 3.3-4.3x SL; caudal peduncle 0.6-0.8x long than high; short snout, 0.9-1.5x eye diameter; eye diameter 3.9-6x head length; adipose-fin base 1.4-2x longer than distance separating it from rayed dorsal fin; pointed pectoral fins, shorter than head (0.6-0.85x head length) and as long as pelvic fins; cycloid scales; scale formula 17.5-18.5/59-71/18.5-19.5; 13.5-15.5 scales between lateral line and pelvic-fin base; 20-23 dorsal fin branched rays; 23-26 anal fin branched rays (Ref. 2938, 81281). Description: eye protected by small adipose eyelid; pelvic fins inserted in advance of dorsal-fin origin (Ref. 2938, 81281). Coloration: silvery-white body; adipose-fin base greyish-black; pelvic and anal fins orange-red except at their bases; lower lobe of caudal also orange-red (Ref. 2938, 4903, 81281). All other fins grey (Ref. 4903).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 20 - 23; Analsoft rays: 23 - 26

Feeds on phytoplankton, aufwuchs, detritus and benthic animals (Ref. 6160).

Occurs in open water and vegetation beds of lakes and flowing water; ingests mud containing benthic and sedimented algae; spawns in the perennial wetland at high water (in the Sudd in South Sudan) (Ref. 28714).

fisheries: commercial

Citharinus latus is a species of lutefish from tropical Africa.