Nile perch
Nile perch | |
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Lates niloticus | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Latidae |
Genus: | Lates |
Species: | L. niloticus
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Binomial name | |
Lates niloticus | |
Synonyms | |
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The Nile perch (Lates niloticus), also known as the African snook, Goliath perch, African barramundi, Goliath barramundi, Giant lates or the Victoria perch, is a
Description
L. niloticus is silver in color with a blue tinge. It has distinctive dark-black eyes, with a bright-yellow outer ring. One of the largest freshwater fishes, it reaches a maximum length of nearly 2 m (6 ft 7 in), weighing up to 200 kg (440 lb).[3] Mature fish typically range from 1.21–1.37 m (4 ft 0 in – 4 ft 6 in), although many fish are caught before they can grow this large.[4]
Adult Nile perch occupy all habitats of a lake with sufficient
Invasive species
Nile perch have been introduced to many other lakes in Africa, including Lake Victoria and the artificial
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 and grows to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) long, while the Nile perch grows to 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in) long.[9]
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 it is also raised in aquaculture.[10]
Lake Victoria introduction
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2021) |
The introduction of this species to Lake Victoria is one of the most cited examples of the negative effects alien species can have on ecosystems.[12]
The Nile perch was introduced to Lake Victoria in East Africa in the 1950s,[13][14] and has since been fished commercially. In 2003, Nile perch sales to the EU reached 169 million euros. Sport-fishing in the region of Uganda and Tanzania provided additional income from tourism.
Its introduction was ecologically disruptive and is attributed with causing the extinction or near-extinction of several hundred native species, with some populations fluctuating with commercial fishing and the actual Nile perch stocks. The Nile perch initially fed on native cichlids, but with decreasing availability of this prey, it now consumes mainly small shrimp and minnows.
The alteration of the native ecosystem had disruptive socioeconomic effects on local communities bordering the lake. Many local people have been displaced from their traditional occupations in the fishing trade and brought them into the cash economy, or before the establishment of export-oriented fisheries, turned them into
The introduction of Nile perch has also had additional ecological effects on shore. Native cichlids were traditionally sun-dried, but because Nile perch have a high fat content (higher than cichlids), they need to be smoked to avoid spoiling. This has led to an increased demand for firewood in a region already hard-hit by deforestation, soil erosion, and desertification.
The Academy Award-nominated documentary Darwin's Nightmare by Hubert Sauper (a French-Austrian-Belgian production, 2004) deals with the damage that has been caused by Nile perch introduction, including the import of weapons and ammunition in cargo planes from Europe, which are then used to export Nile perch, further exacerbating conflict and misery in the surrounding regions.[16]
Regardless of whether it is considered positive or negative,
Threats
Despite being a successful invasive species, the fish faces threats. Being a species of
Export
In 2021, The Uganda Fish Processors and Exporters Association called on the parliament to ban the local consumption of the species so as to protect its export.[21]
Religion
Nile perch were involved with the worship of
See also
- Nile tilapia — a similar-named but different fish that is much smaller and mostly feeds on plant matter
Notes
References
- . Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- PMID 27990290.
- JSTOR 1312084.
- ISBN 978-0-85112-235-9.
- ^ "Lates niloticus (Victoria perch)". Animal Diversity Web.
- ^ "Lates niloticus (Nile perch)". www.cabi.org. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "Nile perch (Lates niloticus) - Species Profile". nas.er.usgs.gov. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ PRINGLE, ROBERT M. (2011). "NILE PERCH" (PDF). Encyclopedia of Biological Invasions. pp. 1–5. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022.
- ^ Society, National Geographic. "Invasive Species". www.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "Invasion Biology Introduced Species Summary Project - Columbia University". www.columbia.edu. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "Nile perch". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
- ^ "Impact of an Invasive Species". education.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- S2CID 13720490.
- S2CID 7566999.
- ^ "RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN LAKE VICTORIA FISHERIES: THE NILE PERCH". fao.org. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ "Socio-economic effects of the evolution of Nile perch fisheries in Lake Victoria: a review". www.fao.org. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ISBN 1-886106-28-2.
- S2CID 13720490.
- JSTOR 2269528.
- S2CID 7566999.
- ^ "Fish exporters seek ban on local consumption of Nile Perch". The Independent Uganda. October 22, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ a b Gautier, Achilles (2005). "Animal Mummies and Remains from the Necropolis of Elkab (Upper Egypt)". archaeofauna. 14: 139–170. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ^ a b Baetens, Gert (2013). "The mummified fish of Esna: a case study in animal worship". Goettinger Miszellen: Beitraege zur aegyptologischen Diskussion: 17–23. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
Further reading
- Beuving, J. J. 2010. "Playing pool along the shores of Lake Victoria. Fishermen, careers and capital accumulation in the Ugandan Nile perch business" Africa: Journal of the International African Institute 80 (2): 224–248.
- Beuving, J. J. 2013. "Chequered Fortunes in Global Exports: The Sociogenesis of African Entrepreneurship in the Nile Perch Business at Lake Victoria, Uganda"
- Pringle, R.M. 2005. "The origins of the Nile perch in Lake Victoria." BioScience 55:780-787. 2.0.CO;2]
- Pringle, R.M. 2005. "The Nile Perch in Lake Victoria: local responses and adaptations." Africa 75:510-538.
- Masciarelli, Alex. "The rise and fall of the Nile Perch." March 15, 2007. [1]
- Socio-economic effects of the evolution of Nile perch fisheries in Lake Victoria: a review. J. Eric Reynolds and D.F. Greboval, CIFA Technical paper 17, FAO 1988, ISBN 92-5-102742-0 (online version)
- M.L. Bianchini (1995). Species introductions in the aquatic environment: changes in biodiversity and economics of exploitation. Proc. World Fish. Congress (Athens, 1992), 3: 213–222.
External links
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2004). "Lates niloticus" in FishBase. October 2004 version.
- "Lates niloticus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved December 20, 2004.
- Lipton, David. "Lates niloticus: Information". Animal Diversity Web. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, 2003.
- Snoeks, Jos. "Ecology of Lates niloticus". Global Invasive Species Database. Updated 22 September 2004.
- ". Press release, 11 May 2001.
- Species Profile - Nile Perch (Lates niloticus), National Invasive Species Information Center, United States National Agricultural Library.