NILE PERCH

(species Lates niloticus), large food and game fish of the family Latidae (order Perciformes), found in the Nile and other rivers and lakes of Africa. A large-mouthed fish, the Nile perch is greenish or brownish above and silvery below and grows to about 1.8 m (6 feet) and 140 kg (300 pounds). It has an elongated body, a protruding lower jaw, a rounded tail, and two dorsal fins. The family Latidae includes several other species, some found in the river systems of Africa, the others in estuaries and along the coasts of Asia and Australia. The members of the family are sometimes classified with snooks and glassfishes in the family Centropomidae.