dcsimg

Diagnostic Description

provided by FAO species catalogs
Body compressed; caudal peduncle longer than deep. Scales cycloid. A knob-like protuberance present behind upper jaw on dorsal surface of snout. Upper jaw length shows sexual dimorphism, and mouth of male larger than that of female. First gill arch with 20 to 22 gillrakers. Lateral line interrupted. Spinous and soft ray parts of dorsal fin continuous. Dorsal fin with 15 to 18 spines and 10 to 13 soft rays. Anal fin with 3 spines and 9-10 rays. Caudal fin truncated. Colour in spawning season, pectoral, dorsal and caudal fins becoming reddish; colour male shows much brighter orange tail than female.

References

  • Rainboth, W.L. - 1996FAO species identification field guide for fishery purposes. Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong. Rome, FAO. 1996: 265 pp.
  • Uyeno, T. & E. Fujii. - 1984 Cichlidae. In: H. Masuda; K. Amaoka; C. Araga; T. Uyeno; T. Yoshino (eds.). The Fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Tokai. Univ. Press. 190-191.

Distribution

provided by FAO species catalogs
Native of East Africa to Natal; Illovo, Mazoe, and Zambezi Rivers, Mozambique, Rhodesia, Natal. Brought into Japan from Thailand in 1954; distributed in hot spring areas from Hokkaido to Kyushu and Okinawa, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and India.

Size

provided by FAO species catalogs
To 36 cm.

Brief Summary

provided by FAO species catalogs
Freshwater and brackish water inhabitants. Lives in warm, weedy pools of sluggish stream, canals, and ponds. Is mainly diurnal.Occurs at temperatures ranging from 8º to 42º C. The female usually incubates the spawn; the male should be removed as soon after spawning as possible. May form schools.Omnivorous, feeds on almost anything from algae to insects but also crustaceans, and fishes.Can be reared under hypersaline conditions. Spawn all year around when kept in warm water (above 20º C).

Benefits

provided by FAO species catalogs
Important food fish in Southeast Asia. Caught with seines, set-nets, traps, and gillnets. The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 20 500 t. The countries with the largest catches were Indonesia (18 190 t) and Papua New Guinea (2 310 t). Marketed fresh and frozen.Imported for the purposes of fish culture and now forms wild populations.