Lates is a genus of freshwater and euryhaline lates perches belonging to the family Latidae. The generic name is also used as a common name, lates, for many of the species.
All species are predatory, and the Nile perch (L. niloticus), in particular, has become infamous as an invasive species introduced into the East African Lake Victoria, where many native Haplochromines were driven extinct. In contrast to the widespread barramundi and Nile perch (though the fish does face threats from human activity), several members of the genus Lates with relatively restricted African or Asian distributions are themselves considered threatened.
The generic name Lates derives from the Latin latÃÂre (to be hidden).
These fishes range in size from less than in maximum overall length, the largest species reaching weights up to . They all have the characteristic centropomid shape, with the two-part dorsal fin and general percoid form.
All species are carnivorous, preying on aquatic invertebrates and other fish in a wide variety of habitats.
These fishes are native to freshwater and marine waters of Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, and the western Pacific Ocean. Several species are endemic to the Rift Valley lakes in Africa.
Currently, 11 recognized species are placed in this genus:
Extinct species within this genus include:
Extinct species within this genus lived from the early Oligocene epoch to the present. Fossils have been found in Africa (Libya, Egypt, Kenya, Tunisia, Chad, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, and Sudan), Saudi Arabia, and Slovakia. Earlier specimens from the Eocene are now placed in their own genus, Eolates.
Prehistoric Lates appear to have had significant species diversity in the marine basins of the Mediterranean and Paratethys, but appear to have been significantly affected by salinity fluctuations, leading to their eventual extinction. In the present day, the only surviving Lates in this region is the Nile perch, L. niloticus, in estuarine habitats in North Africa.