Lates

• They are predatory fishes that feed on aquatic invertebrates and other fishes.

• They have a characteristic centropomid shape, with a two-part dorsal fin and a percoid form.

• They range in size from less than 30 cm to 200 cm in length, and the largest species can weigh up to 200 kg.

• They are native to Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, and the western Pacific Ocean.

• Several species are endemic to the Rift Valley lakes in Africa, such as the Tanganyika lates, the Albert lates, and the Rudolf lates.

• The Nile perch (Lates niloticus) is one of the most infamous invasive species in the world, as it has caused the extinction of many native haplochromines in Lake Victoria.

• The barramundi (Lates calcarifer) is a popular food fish in Australia and Southeast Asia, and is also cultivated in aquaculture.

• Some species are threatened by habitat loss, overfishing, and pollution, such as the bigeye lates, the forktail lates, and the sleek lates.

• There are 11 living species and five extinct species in the genus Lates.

• The generic name Lates derives from the Latin word latere, meaning "to be hidden".

The Lates is a genus of fishes that live in freshwater and marine waters of Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, and the western Pacific Ocean.
Some of them are endemic to the Rift Valley lakes in Africa.

Lates is a genus of fish in the family Latidae, which includes several species of freshwater and marine fish.

They have a long, compressed body, a pointed head, a large mouth, and a single dorsal fin with a deep notch.

The back and sides of these fish are usually olive-brown, silvery or green-blue, and the belly is white.

Lates can grow up to 200 cm in length and 200 kg in weight.