Nile perch

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Nile perch
Lates niloticus.jpg

Nile perch ( Lates niloticus )

Systematics
Carangaria
Order : Carangiformes
Family : Centropomidae
Subfamily : Giant bass (latinae)
Genre : Lates
Type : Nile perch
Scientific name
Lates niloticus
( Linnaeus , 1758)
Nile perch compared to a man standing behind the fish.

The Nile perch ( Lates niloticus ), usually called Victoria perch as food fish in Germany , is a freshwater predatory fish from the subfamily of the giant perch (Latinae). He comes in tropical and sub-tropical Africa between 27 ° north and 7 ° south latitude in all major river systems ( Nile , Chari , Senegal , Volta and Congo ) and in the Lake Albert , Lake Turkana and Lake Tana in front, as well as in brackish Lake Mariout in the Nile Delta . The Nile perch was released by humans in Lake Victoria in the early 1960s.

features

The Nile perch is a maximum of two meters long and weighs up to 200 kg. Usually, however, it remains at a length of 85 centimeters to one meter. It reaches sexual maturity at a length of 42 to 85 centimeters at the age of three. Females are mostly larger than males. Nile perches are rather gray on the top with a bluish tinge, on the sides and on the belly of a silvery color. The eye is black with a yellow ring. The outer skull bones in front of the eyes and in front of the gill cover are spiked. The gill cover is equipped with a large spike. The dorsal fin is supported by seven to eight spiny rays and 10 to 14 soft rays, the caudal fin is rounded. The sexes are different. While the males have a urogenital opening, in the females the genital opening is separated from the opening for the urine outlet.

Nile perch in Lake Victoria

Nile perches from Lake Victoria are sold in Kampala.

In the 1960s, Nile perch were released in Lake Victoria. They reproduced there in a spectacular way and displaced other species. Many of these species, particularly tilapia - species , became extinct then. The Nile Perch was u. a. therefore included in the list of the 100 most dangerous neobiota . The documentary Darwin's Nightmare (2004) by the Austrian director Hubert Sauper deals with the contemporary ecological , economic and social consequences of the release of the species in Lake Victoria.

Way of life

Nile perch inhabit all habitats of their living waters at depths of 10 to 60 meters. Adult fish prefer deeper water and feed on fish, especially herrings , Enteromius species and tetras of the genus Alestes ; if available, cichlids of the Haplochromini tribe can make up up to 95% of the fish species consumed. Smaller specimens also eat crustaceans (shrimp of the genus Caridina ), juvenile fish and insects ( Schnabelkerfe and the larvae of dragonflies , mayflies and tufted mosquitoes ). Young fish, which prefer to stay in shallow water at the edges of the water, feed primarily on zooplankton ( copepods ). In spring, when the water temperature rises, the Nile perch spawn in protected areas or in open water.

use

The Nile perch is marketed as a popular food fish under the name Victoria perch . The meat is white, firm and has a strong taste. Because of its low price, Victoria perch is available on fish markets in Europe (especially Benelux , Germany , France ) and in the USA .

100 g of nile perch contain approximately:
Calorific value fat protein
389  kJ (93  kcal ) 1.8 g 19.1 g

In addition, the Nile perch has a high content of omega-3 fatty acids .

literature

  • Tijs Goldschmidt: Darwin's dream lake. News from my research trip to Africa , CH Beck, 1997, ISBN 3-406-42881-9

Web links

Commons : Nile Perch  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Nile Perch  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Movie

  • Darwin's Nightmare - Documentary film about the history of the Nile Perch and the impact of its release on life on Lake Victoria. Director: Hubert Sauper . Austria / France / Belgium 2004; FSK : Approved for ages 12 and up - 107 min.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lates niloticus on Fishbase.org (English)