Adults occur in most coastal rivers, lakes and swamps (Ref. 3569). Prefer quiet, deep water, like channels and lagoons of large floodplains. Juveniles and fry inhabit well-vegetated marginal habitats. Adults feed on fish, juveniles feed on small invertebrates and fish. Multiple spawner; breeds over the summer months. Relatively short-lived, only 4-5 years (Ref. 7248). Also caught with drawnets.

Hepsetus odoe is a species complex of three or four different species, and is in need of further taxonomic study. As it is currently recognized, this is a widespread species, known from Senegal to Central Africa Republic, and south to Namibia and Botswana. It is absent in the rift valley lakes.

Central Africa: Hepsetus odoe is known from throughout the Congo River basin. In Lower Guinea found throughout the region (Cross Wouri, Sanaga, Nyong, Kienke, Ntem, Benito, Como, Ogowe, Nyanga, Kouilou, Loeme and Chiloango rivers).

Southern Africa: It is present in the upper Zambezi and Kafue systems, as well as the Okavango and Cunene systems, but absent from the Zambian Congo (Skelton 2001).

Western Africa: This species is widespread from Sénégal to Cameroon. Including the Niger, Volta, Chad, Ogowe. In Ghana, also known from the Pra and Tano (Dankwa et al. 1999)

Hepsetus odoe is widespread in the tropical regions west and central Africa. It is found in most rivers in West Africa from the Senegal southwards to Botswana. The southern limit of its distribution is the Okavango Delta in Northern Botswana (Merron et al., 1990).

Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )

Africa: widespread from Senegal to Angola including Niger, Volta, Chad, Ogowe, Democratic Republic of the Congo and upper Zambezi Rivers; as well as in the Cunene, Okavango, and Kafue systems. Widespread in central and west Africa. Absent in the Nile River; Zambian Congo and the Great Lakes (Ref. 7248).

Hepsetus odoe bears a striking resemblance to the European pike. It is, however, the only member of its genus and a characiform, only distantly related to the European pike. Kafue pike are torpedo-shaped, predatory fish. The body form is elongate with a pronounced snout. The dorsal surface is usually dark brown or green while the ventral surface is silvery. The face is often light green or brown with prominent dark brown or black stripes radiating from the eye. The coloration of the adults is relatively uniform but coloration of young is extremely variable (Jubb, 1961).

The scales of the Kafue pike are rough to the touch and number 49-58 along its lateral line. The dorsal fin has 9 rays total, with 2 unbranched and 7 branched. The dorsal fin origin is set far back on the body, behind the anal fin origin. The adipose fin, with its red or orange base and black tip, lies midway between dorsal and caudal fins. The anal fin has a total of 11 rays with 2 unbranched and 9 branched. The unpaired fins often have fine black spots between the rays (Jubb, 1967).

The most striking feature of H. odoe is its dentition. Both upper and lower jaws are filled with sharp pointed teeth, but the lower jaw has two rows while the upper only has one. There are also two large canines in each jaw. Two pairs of dermal flaps can be found on the upper and lower jaws (Barnard, 1971). The folds on the upper jaw are smaller than those on the lower jaw. They were once thought to be sensory organs but are now thought to be used in building nests for breeding (Merron et al., 1990).

Average mass: 1.2 kg.

Range length: 37-47 (high) cm.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike

Average mass: 2200 g.

Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 9; Analspines: 2 - 3; Analsoft rays: 9; Vertebrae: 45 - 49

Maximum size: 700 mm TL

70.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 3569)); max. published weight: 4,000 g (Ref. 3569); max. reported age: 5 years (Ref. 2750)

Accessory ectopterygoids. Sensory canal on supraoperculum. Nasals close to each other. Triangular dermic fold on lower jaw and small and rounded on upper. Body depth 4.5-5.8 x SL. Head 3-3.7 x SL. Eye diameter 6-8 x head length. Skeletal formula 8-10/51-58/7-9, 4. Area above eye red-orange marks. Light and dark bands radiating behind eye. Black adipose fin. Pink to grayish fins. Adults may have black spots on paired fins.

This taxon is one of a number of demersal species in the Kunene River system. Demersal river fish are found at the river bottom, feeding on benthos and zooplankton

The Kunene River rises in the central highlands of Angola, and thence flows southward to form a major element of the border between Namibia and Angola before the final discharge is to the Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of the Angola-Benguela Front. The geometry of the Kunene riparian zone is distinctly narrow, with rugged arid landscapes persisting on both sides of the river over long distances, and a virtual lack of any extensive floodplains.

There is a relatively high rate of endemism of aquatic biota in the Kunene. Proposed expansion of dams on the Kunene poses a threat to biodiversity in the river, especially regarding proposals at Epupa Falls. However, a greater threat to the Kunene is a plan by Angola to greatly expand withdrawal of water from the river to expand irrigated agriculture by 600,000 hectares; not only will this action significantly diminish downriver flow rates, but also add considerable nitrate, herbicide and pesticide substances to the river.

The catchment area of the Kunene Basin is approximately 106,560 square kilometres (41,143 square miles) in area, of which 14 100 km² (13%) lies within Namibian territory. Its mean annual discharge is 174 cubic meters per second (6145 cubic feet per second) at its mouth on the Atlantic. Water quality of the Kunene River is relatively high, since the human population density and agricultural intensity is relatively low, including a conspicuous absence of overgrazing. However, bacteria and other microbial pathogens pose a material threat to Kunene water quality, due to the fact that only a small fraction of the domestic wastewater in Angola is treated;

Regarding freshwater bivalves, the central reaches of the Kunene manifest particularly high endemism, similar to parts of the Okavango, Chobe, Upper Zambezi and Etosha Pan basins. The bivalve Etheria elliptica, which also occurs in the Upper Zambezi, is a freshwater mussel in the family Etheriidae, known from a limited extent of the central Kunene River in Angola. It is threatened by proposed dam construction on the Kunene.

There are two endemic denmersal fish in the Kunene: the 26 centimeter (cm) long demersal Kunene happy (Sargochromis coulteri) and the demersal fish Hippopotamyrus longilateralis.

The Kwando River system is generally construed to consist of the upper Kwando originating in the Angolan headwaters, the middle reach Linyanti swamps and the lower reach Chobe River. The 70 centimeter (cm) Kafue pike (Hepsetus odoe) is a demersal species native to the Kwando River system.

Ion concentrations jgenerally in the rapid flowing river mainstem tends to be low in ionic content; however, swampy areas often contain higher concentrations of nitrate and other ionic components. Correspondingly, planktonic content is only appreciable at these slackwater portions of the river, notably in the Linyanti Swamp. The Kwando waters generally exhibit a lower pH level than the neighboring Okavango River, but have a slightly higher sulfate concentration.

The largest native demersal fish species in the Kwando is the 117 centimeter (cm) long tiger fish (Hydrocynus vittatus). Other large demersal native species are the 50 cm western bottlenose mormyrid (Mormyrus lacerda}, and the blunt-nosed African catfish (Clarias ngamensis). Each of these demersal vertebrate species are assigned a high trophic level (in the vicinity of level four).

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Freshwater

Hepsetus odoe is usually found near the banks of rivers in heavy vegetation, but also can be found in swampy environments, lagoons and backwaters. In areas where one of its major predators is absent (Hydrocynus forskahlii), Kafue pike will venture into more open waters (Jackson, 1961).

Habitat Regions: tropical ; freshwater

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams

Wetlands: swamp

demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); freshwater; pH range: 6.0 - 7.5; dH range: 18

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

H. odoe is piscivorous, feeding on several species of smaller fish. They are primarily diurnal ambush predators, hiding out in dense vegetation and lunging suddenly to seize prey (Winemiller, 1993). Their diet consists primarily of cichlids and mormyrids. Although smaller specimens have been found to eat mochokid catfishes in greater amounts than cichlids or mormyrids (Winemiller, 1993).

Animal Foods: fish

Primary Diet: carnivore (Piscivore )

Frequency of occurence in Caprivi: frequently in sandy streams, occasionally on rocky streams, abundant in standing deep water, common in shallow swamps (Ref. 37065). Juveniles feed on small mochokid catfishes (Synodontis spp.) while adults feed on cichlids and mormyrids (Ref. 30518).

Very little is known about the ecosystem role of this species, other than it is a high level predator in freshwater systems (Winemiller, 1993).

H. odoe avoids open water where its biggest predator is found. It uses weeds and vegetation along with its coloring to avoid detection (Jackson, 1961).

Known Predators:

• tigerfish (Hydrocynus forskahlii)

Hepsetus odoe preys on:
Actinopterygii

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

Very little is known about the development of H. odoe. However, it is suspected that the species undergoes direct development due to a very short larval period (Merron et al., 1990). When the young hatch, they wiggle their way through the nest to the water. Upon submersion the larvae attach themselves to the bottom edge of the nest using a special cement gland on the top of their heads. They hang there, suspended tail down for four days. As they develop, they begin to move away from the nest, often attaching to nearby vegetation. As they become more developed, the fry rely less on their cement gland and eventually, in just a week or so, become free swimming.

Builds a free-floating bubblenest.

Hepsetus odoe are known to live 4-5 years in the wild (Montambault, 2000).

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 4.5 years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 5 years.

The onset of the spawning season varies depending upon the region, but the method is consistant across Hepsetus odoe populations. Spawning season usually begins after the flood season has begun; it is suspected that flood waters may actually stimulate the gonads of H. odoe. However, water temperatures play a critical role as well, and it is not until August that the water temperatures are likely to reach optimal levels for the eggs and developing embryos.

Females are repeat spawners and produce about 6,440 eggs in a season. These eggs vary in size from 2.5-2.9 mm in diameter. As with many other species of fish, H. odoe must reach a certain length before being able to breed. Males mature at 140 mm while females do not mature until they reach 160 mm. Prior to spawning, the adults stake out a territory and begin defending it from rivals. They also begin to build a portion of a nest out of foam bubbles. The nest is irregularly dome-shaped with an average diameter of 17 cm and an average height of 9 cm. This nest will hold the fertilized eggs and will be guarded by the adults until after the eggs hatch. The fertilized eggs are inserted in the nest during spawning and actually rest above the surface of the water, often as much as 3 cm. The nest is built around strands of vegetation, which gives it extra stability and protection from wind induced wave action. The nest building is thought to give this species a few advantages in an area where actual flood levels and times fluctuate from year to year.  1) acts as a deterrent to predators due to both its placement in highly vegetation areas, as well as providing a hiding place for developing embryos and newly hatched larvae. 2) places the eggs out of the water and the embryos at the air/water interphase, the young are provided with an oxygen rich environment during a seasonal time of low oxygen concentration. 3) floats on the surface of the water, which keeps the nest at the optimal oxygen level when water levels fluctuate. 4) provides an anchor for the young to attach themselves to. This prevents the small fry from being swept away by the current into areas where they could be preyed upon or where there is insufficient oxygen for their development (Merron et al., 1990).

Breeding season: Spawning usually begins in August and continues until January. Although in some locations there is an extended spawning season which lasts until May.

Average number of offspring: 6,440.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; sexual ; fertilization (External ); viviparous

The adults guard the foam bubble nests until the young have hatched and attached themselves to the bottom edge. During this time, it is believed that the adults actively protect and rebuild the nest, applying foam where needed. After the young have attached themselves to the bottom edge of the nest, the adults abandon it and their young. The nest breaks up about four days afterwards (Merron et al., 1990).

Parental Investment: male parental care ; female parental care

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

 
There are 15 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.
 

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 15
Species: 24
Species With Barcodes: 1

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

Least Concern (LC)

Conservation Actions

H. odoe is a prized game fish in Africa. Anglers from all around the world come to fish for it. Despite its small size, the Kafue pike is considered a better sport fish than H. forskahlii (Sepupa, 1997).

Positive Impacts: food

fisheries: subsistence fisheries; gamefish: yes; aquarium: commercial