Heterotis niloticus

(Cuvier, 1829)

Vernacular names
English : African bonytongue
French : Arapaïma du Nil

Classification
Class : Teleostei
Order : Osteoglossiformes
Family : Arapaimidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can reach 1 m in length for a weight of 10 kg. Head is large, dorsally flattened and with thick lips. Body is slightly compressed laterally and covered with big scales. Coloration is uniformly grey to grey-beige.

Range and habitat
The species occurs in most river basins of the sahel region, from Senegal to Ethiopia, also in the Chad basin and Lake Turkana. Introduced around Africa. Lives in savanna rivers, floodplains and swamps, open waters of rivers and lakes.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species has a large range and has been introduced in many areas of Africa and Madagascar. Regionally declining because of hydroelectric works.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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