Ctenopoma multispine
Encyclopedia
Ctenopoma multispine, known as the many-spined Ctenopoma or climbing perch, is an Africa
n freshwater
fish. It is up to 14 centimetres (5.5 in) long and occurs in the Lufira River, Lualaba River
, Upemba River, Luapula-Moero in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
, Upper Zambezi
in Zambia
and Okavango River
-Lake Ngami
in Angola
and Botswana
. Also known from the Kafue
, rivers of coastal Mozambique
, Cuanza River
in Angola, and southern tributaries of the Congo River
system.
It may be found in well-vegetated riverine backwaters, floodplain lagoons, swamps and isolated pans. This cryptically coloured species feeds on a wide range of prey items, including smaller fish, crustaceans and insects, and hunts by slow stalking. Adults gather in large groups to breed, after which eggs are scattered in suitable places, with no further parental care. The species is capable of surviving in warm, shallow water and may move across high ground in search of better sites in wet weather or at night.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
fish. It is up to 14 centimetres (5.5 in) long and occurs in the Lufira River, Lualaba River
Lualaba River
The Lualaba River is the greatest headstream of the Congo River by volume of water. However, by length the Chambeshi River is the farthest headstream. The Lualaba is 1800 km long, running from near Musofi in the vicinity of Lubumbashi in Katanga Province. The whole of its length lies within the...
, Upemba River, Luapula-Moero in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, Upper Zambezi
Zambezi
The Zambezi is the fourth-longest river in Africa, and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. The area of its basin is , slightly less than half that of the Nile...
in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
and Okavango River
Okavango River
The Okavango River is a river in southwest Africa. It is the fourth-longest river system in southern Africa, running southeastward for . It begins in Angola, where it is known as the Cubango River...
-Lake Ngami
Lake Ngami
Lake Ngami is an endorheic lake in Botswana north of the Kalahari Desert. It is seasonally filled by the Taughe River an affluent of the Okavango River system flowing out of the western side of the Okavango Delta. It is one of the fragmented remnants of the ancient Lake Makgadikgadi...
in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
. Also known from the Kafue
Kafue
Kafue is a town in the Lusaka Province of Zambia on the north bank of the Kafue River, after which it is named. It is the southern gateway to the central Zambian plateau on which Lusaka and the mining towns of Kabwe and the Copperbelt are located.- Site :...
, rivers of coastal Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, Cuanza River
Cuanza River
The Cuanza River is a river in Angola. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean just south of the nation's capital, Luanda....
in Angola, and southern tributaries of the Congo River
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
system.
It may be found in well-vegetated riverine backwaters, floodplain lagoons, swamps and isolated pans. This cryptically coloured species feeds on a wide range of prey items, including smaller fish, crustaceans and insects, and hunts by slow stalking. Adults gather in large groups to breed, after which eggs are scattered in suitable places, with no further parental care. The species is capable of surviving in warm, shallow water and may move across high ground in search of better sites in wet weather or at night.