Labridae
Knife razorfish
Cymolutes praetextatus
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.
Knife razorfish
Sparidae
knife-back seabream
Polyamblyodon gibbosum
Rhinochimaeridae
knifenose chimaera
Rhinochimaera atlantica
Somniosidae
knifetooth dogfish
Scymnodon ringens
Mormyridae
Knoepffler's Elephantfish
Boulengeromyrus knoepffleri
Gobiidae
Knysna sandgoby
Psammogobius knysnaensis
Bagridae
Kokuni
Chrysichthys cranchii
Bagridae
Kokuni
Chrysichthys delhezi
Bagridae
Kokuni
Chrysichthys duttoni
Bagridae
Kokuni
Chrysichthys habereri
Bagridae
Kokuni
Chrysichthys laticeps
Mormyridae
Kolente stonebasher
Hippopotamyrus paugyi
Poeciliidae
Kongoro lampeye
Lacustricola kongoranensis
Cichlidae
konye
Konia eisentrauti
Nothobranchiidae
Korthaus’ killifish
Nothobranchius korthausae
Blenniidae
Kosi rockskipper
Pereulixia kosiensis
Cichlidae
Kotsovato
Paretroplus kieneri
Myctophidae
Krefft's Lanternfish
Symbolophorus kreffti
Alepocephalidae
Krefft's smooth-head
Herwigia kreffti
Cichlidae
Kribensis
Pelvicachromis subocellatus
Cichlidae
Kribensis Cichlid
Pelvicachromis kribensis
Nothobranchiidae
Kribi killi
Fundulopanchax fallax
Cyprinidae
Krom Redfin
Pseudobarbus senticeps
Bagridae
Kukumai
Bathybagrus grandis
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.