Lates


Lates is a genus of freshwater and euryhaline lates perches belonging to the family Latidae. The generic name is also used as a common name, lates, for many of the species.
All species are predatory, and the Nile perch, in particular, has become infamous as an invasive species introduced into the East African Lake Victoria, where many native Haplochromines were driven extinct. In contrast to the widespread Barramundi and Nile perch, several members of the genus Lates with relatively restricted African or Asian distributions are themselves considered threatened.

Etymology

The generic name Lates derives from the Latin latēre.

Description

These fishes range in size from less than in maximum overall length, the largest species reaching weights up to. They all have the characteristic centropomid shape, with the two-part dorsal fin and general percoid form.
All species are carnivorous, preying on aquatic invertebrates and other fish in a wide variety of habitats.

Distribution and habitat

Image:Lates angustifrons.jpg|thumb|The greatest species diversity is in the Rift Valley lakes, with four endemic to Tanganyika, one to Albert and one to Turkana
These fishes are native to freshwater and marine waters of Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, and the western Pacific Ocean. Several species are endemic to the Rift Valley lakes in Africa.

Taxonomy

Extant species

Currently, 11 recognized species are placed in this genus:Lates angustifrons Boulenger, 1906 Lates calcarifer Lates japonicus Katayama & Y. Taki, 1984 Lates lakdiva Pethiyagoda & A. C. Gill, 2012Lates longispinis Worthington, 1932 Lates macrophthalmus Worthington, 1929 Lates mariae Steindachner, 1909 Lates microlepis Boulenger, 1898 Lates niloticus Lates stappersii Lates uwisara Pethiyagoda & A. C. Gill, 2012

Extinct species

Extinct species within this genus include:Lates arambourgi Stewart & Murray, 2008 - Pliocene/Pleistocene of EthiopiaLates bispinosus Gaudant & Sen, 1979 - Neogene of Turkey
Extinct species within this genus lived from the early Oligocene epoch to the present. Fossils have been found in Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Slovakia. Earlier specimens from the Eocene are now placed in their own genus, Eolates.
Prehistoric Lates appear to have had significant species diversity in the marine basins of the Mediterranean and Paratethys, but appear to have been significantly affected by salinity fluctuations, leading to their eventual extinction. In the present day, the only surviving Lates in this region is the Nile perch, L. niloticus, in estuarine habitats in North Africa.