Lates mariae
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Latidae (Lates Perches)
Lates
Lates mariae
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal.
Distribution
Africa: Lake Tanganyika (Ref. 2216, 36901); widely distributed throughout the lake (Ref. 36901). In the Lukuga River (Lake Tanganyika outflow), known up to Niemba (Ref. 93587). In the Malagarazi River, known from the delta and the lower reaches (Ref. 54847).
Habitat Associations
Freshwater. demersal. Found in: lakes.
Biology
Juveniles live in a specific inshore habitat until they reach 18 cm, thereafter they adopt a benthic habitat moving into deep water (Ref. 2216). Juveniles have been observed near or in affluent rivers (Ref. 36901). Top predator in depths below 100 m; exploits both fishes and invertebrates; migrate diurnally to surface to feed on pelagic clupeids; highly susceptible to intensive fishing (Ref. 2216).
Max length: 80.0 cm TL.
IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable (VU), assessed 2006-01-31. Resilience: Low (tmax=12-13).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish.
References
Coulter, G.W. (1976) The biology of Lates species in Lake Tanganyika, and the status of the pelagic fishery for Lates species and Luciolates stapersii. J. Fish Biol. 9(3):235-259.
Daget, J. (1986) Centropomidae. p. 293-296. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Brussels; MRAC, Tervuren; and ORSTOM, Paris. Vol. 2.
Poll, M. (1953) Exploration hydrobiologique du lac Tanganika (1946-1947). Résultats scientifiques. Volume III, fascicule 5A. Poissons non Cichlidae. Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Bruxelles. 251 pp.
Munyandorero, J. and L. Mwape (2003) Some records on Lake Tanganyika clupeid and latid fish species. p. 132-155. In M.L.D. Palomares, B. Samb, T. Diouf, J.M. Vakily and D. Pauly (eds.) Fish biodiversity: local studies as basis for global inferences. ACP-EU Fish. Res. Rep. 14, 281p.
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