Nile perch
📖 Overview
Inhabits channels, lakes and irrigation canals . Adults inhabit deep water, while juveniles are found in shallow water . Feeds on fish especially clupeids and Alestes . Smaller fish also feed on larger crustaceans and insects; juveniles are planktivorous . Threatened due to over harvesting . 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 .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 7 - 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 14; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 9. Diagnosis: mouth large and protrusible , lower jaw (slightly) prominent . Numerous villiform teeth present in jaws, on palate and vomer . Preorbital/lachrymal and preopercle denticulate. Strong, prominent opercular spine present on free edge of opercle, and a smaller one dorsal to it . 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 . Caudal fin rounded . 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 . Coloration: body uniformly silvery or dark greyish-blue dorsally, greyish-silver on flank and ventrally . Fins greyish; interior of eye conspicuously yellowish . Juveniles brownish with lighter marbling on head and flanks .: fusiform / normal; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Nile perch is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous ; depth range 10 - 60 m . Tropical; 27°N - 7°S West Africa, except in Gambia (Ref.
🌿 Ecology
fish especially clupeids and Alestes (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🚨 Invasive Species Impact
- mass extinction of native haplochromine cichlids (200+ species lost)
- simplified food web
- altered lake ecology
- created major export fishery
- disrupted subsistence fisheries dependent on native cichlids
Established commercial fishery is now economic mainstay - eradication impossible.
Sustainable fisheries management focus; some cichlid refuge areas.
Not attempted - now central to lake economy.
References: Compiled from IUCN Global Invasive Species Database, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database, and CABI Invasive Species Compendium.
🎣 Angling Guide
- medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
- 30-50 lb braid
- fluorocarbon leader
- grass flats
- oyster bars
- marsh drains
- deeper channel edges
Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.
⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🏆 World Records
| Record Type | Value | Angler | Location | Date | Line Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 104.32 kg | William Toth | Lake Nasser, Egypt | 20 Dec 2000 | ALL |
Source: IGFA All-Tackle World Records database
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | African Snook · Nile perch · Victoria Perch |
| 🇸🇦Arabic | Aigle · Am'kal · Am'kaltâya · Amukal · Igl · Keshr Bayad · Kishr Nili · Samoos |
| 🏳️Catalan | Perca del Llac Victòria |
| 🌍CES | lates nilský |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Nilaborre |
| 🇩🇪German | Albertseebarsch · Nilbarsch · Victoriabarsch · Victoriasee-Barsch |
| 🌍EWE | Nƒεsi |
| 🇫🇷French | perche du Nil |
| 🌍HAU | Giwanruwa |
| 🌍HEB | נסיכת הנילוס |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Persico del Nilo |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | ナイルアカメ |
| 🇰🇷Korean | 나일농어 |
| 🇳🇱Dutch | Nijlbaars |
| 🇳🇴Norwegian | Nilabbor |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Barramundi-do-Nilo · Perca-do-Nilo |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Нильский окунь |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Perca del Nilo |
| 🇸🇪Swedish | Nilabborre |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centropomus niloticus | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Labrus niloticus | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Lates albertianus | Worthington | 1929 | Synonym |
| Lates niloticus albertianus | Worthington | 1929 | Synonym |
| Lates niloticus macrolepidota | Pellegrin | 1922 | Synonym |
| Lates niloticus rudolfianus | Worthington | 1932 | Synonym |
| Lates nilotus | - | - | Synonym |
| Lates nilotus rudolfianus | Worthington | 1932 | Synonym |
| Perca latus | Geoffroy | 1827 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 44 records indexed .
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