Leiognathidae
Jones’ pony fish
Eubleekeria jonesi
FISH SPECIES
African Fish
Discover fish with recorded distributions in Africa, across inland lakes, ancient river systems and coastal waters.
FISH ATLAS / FIELD GUIDEAfrican FishIN THIS CHAPTER01 / Characteristics02 / Lifestyle03 / Species04 / Field notes
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01 / NATURAL HISTORY
Characteristics
African ichthyofauna is famous for the rapid adaptive radiation of Rift Lake cichlids alongside archaic, relic lineages like lungfish and bichirs. These species demonstrate remarkable evolutionary resilience across dramatic tropical dry and wet cycles.
- 01Rift lake cichlid radiations
- 02Ancient river basin lineages
- 03Extreme drought adaptations
02 / LIFESTYLE
Lifestyle
In the Great Rift Valley lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika, and Malawi), hundreds of cichlid species partition microscopic spatial zones—from rock-scraping mbuna to shell-dwelling dwarfs and scale-eating specialists. In contrast, riverine species navigating the Congo and Nile systems endure massive seasonal water level drops, with some surviving dry periods through aestivation or facultative air-breathing.
OBSERVATION INDEX
- Rift lake micro-niche partitioning
- Substrate scraping and brood defense
- Floodplain and dry-season aestivation
03 / SPECIES
Representative species
Discover representative species illustrating the ecological diversity, morphologies and adaptations of this group.
Jones’ pony fish
Chimaeridae
Jordan's Chimaera
Chimaera jordani
Pomacentridae
Jordan's damsel
Teixeirichthys jordani
Parascorpididae
Jutjaw
Parascorpis typus
Cyprinidae
Kabyl Barbel
Luciobarbus setivimensis
Cichlidae
Kachira Blue
Haplochromis commutabilis
Nothobranchiidae
Kafue killifish
Nothobranchius kafuensis
Hepsetidae
Kafue Pike
Hepsetus lineatus
Pristiophoridae
Kaja’s sixgill sawshark
Pliotrema kajae
Mochokidae
Kalombo suckermouth
Chiloglanis kalambo
Cichlidae
Kambuzi
Protomelas kirkii
Bagridae
Kampango
Bagrus meridionalis
Scombridae
Kanadi kingfish
Scomberomorus plurilineatus
Mugilidae
Kanda
Osteomugil engeli
Gobiidae
Kappa reefgoby
Priolepis kappa
Sparidae
Karenteen seabream
Crenidens crenidens
Cichlidae
Kariba tilapia
Oreochromis mortimeri
Cichlidae
Karomo
Oreochromis karomo
Cichlidae
Karonga tilapia
Oreochromis karongae
Macrouridae
Karrer's whiptail
Coelorinchus karrerae
Cichlidae
Kasawala
Oreochromis squamipinnis
Bedotiidae
Katrana
Rheocles alaotrensis
Synaphobranchidae
Kaup's arrowtooth eel
Synaphobranchus kaupii
Alestidae
Kaya Robber
Brycinus leuciscus
04 / FIELD NOTES
A closer look
Why are African Rift Lake cichlids famous in evolutionary biology?
The Great Lakes of East Africa witnessed explosive evolutionary radiations where a few ancestral species diverged into hundreds of ecologically specialized species in remarkably short geologic time spans.
How do African freshwater fish survive seasonal droughts?
Certain species, like the African lungfish, can burrow into muddy riverbeds and secrete a protective mucous cocoon to aestivate for months until rains restore the waterway.