Poeciliidae
Nile killifish
Micropanchax loati
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.
Nile killifish
Cyprinidae
Nile labeo
Labeo niloticus
Cyprinidae
Nile minnow
Leptocypris niloticus
Latidae
Nile perch
Lates niloticus
Cichlidae
Nile tilapia
Oreochromis niloticus
Gobiidae
ninebar goby
Cryptocentrus cryptocentrus
Cyprinidae
ningu
Labeo victorianus
Cichlidae
Nkhomo-benga Peacock
Aulonocara baenschi
Distichodontidae
Nkupe
Distichodus mossambicus
Myctophidae
Noble lampfish
Lampanyctus nobilis
Poeciliidae
Norman's lampeye
Poropanchax normani
Myctophidae
Norman's lanterrnfish
Protomyctophum normani
Clariidae
North African catfish
Clarias gariepinus
Alosidae
North African shad
Alosa algeriensis
Draconettidae
North Atlantic slope dragonet
Centrodraco acanthopoma
Cyprinidae
Northern Glowlight Danio
Danio flagrans
Cichlidae
Northern Tanganyika Clown
Eretmodus marksmithi
Clinidae
Nosestripe klipfish
Muraenoclinus dorsalis
Pseudochromidae
Nosey dottyback
Chlidichthys bibulus
Stomiidae
Nosidefin Dragonfish
Eustomias lipochirus
Cichlidae
Nsess
Stomatepia mariae
Cyprinidae
Numidian Barbel
Luciobarbus numidiensis
Ginglymostomatidae
nurse shark
Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum
Scyliorhinidae
nursehound
Scyliorhinus stellaris
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.