Heterotis niloticus (Cuvier, 1829)
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
pelagic; freshwater; depth range 1 - ? m (Ref. 13851)
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Crispina B. Binohlan, FishBase |
| Source | http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=2388 |
Heterotis niloticus inhabits open water, fringing vegetation and swamps (Ref. 28714). It is predominantly microphagous (Ref. 13851, Ref. 30488) and feeds on mud, phytoplankton, vegetable debris and small invertebrates (Ref. 28714). This fish is a non-specialized bottom-feeder (Ref. 45895).
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| Rights holder/Author | Pascualita Sa-a, FishBase |
| Source | No source database. |
Tenuisentis Infection. Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)
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| Rights holder/Author | Allan Palacio, FishBase |
| Source | http://www.fishbase.org/Diseases/diseasesList.cfm?ID=2388&StockCode=2582 |
Sporozoa-infection (Myxobolus sp.). Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Allan Palacio, FishBase |
| Source | http://www.fishbase.org/Diseases/diseasesList.cfm?ID=2388&StockCode=2582 |
Heterotis niloticus breeds in the wet season in swamps and floodplains (Ref. 28714). It builds a circular nest about 1 m in diameter and 20 to 60 cm deep (Ref. 26281). The rim of the nest is a high wall formed out of plant chunks, about 15-20 cm thick and projecting above the water surface; the bottom is a clean platform of clay or mud (Ref. 26281). After the spawning act the fish leave by way of a hole in the wall, through which, 5 days later, the young leave the nest and are guarded by the male (Ref. 26281). Also Ref. 3074, Ref. 10609, Ref. 36900.
The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Specimens with Barcodes: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1
Maximum observed length in Lake Kainji: 100 cm, observed weight: 10000 g (Ref. 3034, Ref. 3799). Young found in swampy places among aquatic vegetation (Ref. 5156, Ref. 30488); adults live in the open water of rivers and lakes, where they can be found in the pelagic zone as well as the littoral zone (Ref. 5156). Are able to survive in deoxygenated waters; the hardiness of this fish, together with its great growth rate make it a candidate for aquaculture in Africa and it has been transported to a number of countries for this purpose (Ref. 1739, Ref. 50623). Escapees from ponds into the wild resulted in established populations, which form the basis for fisheries (Ref. 1739). Are considered as mud-feeders (Ref. 6160), but in West Africa also as phytoplankton feeders (Ref. 3023, Ref. 31256). Feed mostly on plankton, being the only plankton-feeders of the Osteoglossidae (Ref. 13851). It has a suprabranchial organ which has a sensory function, but also a mechanic function in concentrating the little food particles (Ref. 3012, Ref. 50624). During breeding, mature adults create a circular nest in swamps (Ref. 13851, Ref. 26281, Ref. 41544). The young leave the nest after a few days and are guarded by the male (Ref. 26281).
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Crispina B. Binohlan, FishBase |
| Source | http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=2388 |
The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.
There are 5 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.
Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.
See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
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Heterotis niloticus is natural distributed in savannah rivers of the Nilo-Sudanese region from Ethiopia to Senegal. It is also naturally distributed in the Chad basin and Lake Turkana. The species current distribution is now far more wide-spread as a result of man-made introductions.
Central Africa: The species has been widely introduced in the Lower Guinea area, for aquaculture purposes. The species was introduced from Fort-Lamy, Chad, or Northern Cameroon to Southern Cameroon (swamps of the Nyong River basin, Cameroon). It was used for the development of aquaculture in the fish culture station of Melen near Yaound (1955), in Bertoua (1957) and in Abong-Mbang (1958). From 1968 onwards it was also found in the Lower Sanaga River basin. According to Depierre and Vivien (1977), this was probably due to colonization originating from the Lower Nyong River basin and this through the mangroves during the high waters. In the 1950s it was also introduced from Cameroon to the Lower Ogowe River basin, in the neighbourhood of Lambarn, Gabon, and from Cameroon to Congo. According to FAO (2005) it was reintroduced to Congo in 1960, with Sudan mentioned as country of origin. Olaosebikan and Raji (1998) report the introduction of the species in the Cross River basin, Nigeria.
Eastern Africa: It is present in Lake Turkana.
Northern Africa:This species used to be caught from This species is known from upper Egyptian Nile, but is now Regionally Extinct.
Northeast Africa: It is found in the Ghazal and Jebel systems, White Nile to Khartoum, Sudan, as well as Baro River, Ethiopia
Western Africa: In the case of this species, a distinction must be made between the present area of occurrence resulting from man-made introductions, and its original, natural geographical distribution area. Original (natural) distribution: all basins of the Nilo-Sudanese region: rivers Senegal, Gambia, Volta, Niger, Chad. Areas of successful introduction of the species: in the area considered, artificial reservoirs of Cte d'Ivoire and Cross river.
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| Rights holder/Author | International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources |
| Source | http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/182580 |