Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Forktail lates (Lates microlepis), recorded as Critically Endangered
Forktail lates (Lates microlepis). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Critically Endangered

Forktail lates

Lates microlepis

The forktail lates is a lates perch endemic to Lake Tanganyika.

Status
Critically Endangered
Scientific name
Lates microlepis
Taxonomy
Perciformes · Latidae · Lates

The ray-finned fish

This species can reach a length of 93 centimetres (37 in) TL and the greatest reported weight of this species is 8.3 kilograms (18 lb).

Range and habitat

The forktail lates is a lates perch endemic to Lake Tanganyika. Juveniles inhabit inshore habitats, moving as adults to open-water pelagic zones where it preys on other fishes.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

In crisis

Forktail lates is Critically Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Forktail lates, Wikidata item Q5235186. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Bigeye lates (Lates mariae), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Bigeye lates

Lates mariae
Photograph of Tanganyika lates (Lates angustifrons), recorded as EndangeredEN

Tanganyika lates

Lates angustifrons
Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
Photograph of Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus

Quick answers

What is Forktail lates?
Forktail lates is a ray-finned fish in the family Latidae (order Perciformes) — Lates microlepis.
What is the conservation status of Forktail lates?
Critically Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Lates microlepis. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Forktail lates live?
The forktail lates is a lates perch endemic to Lake Tanganyika.
Why is Forktail lates in crisis?
It is Critically Endangered on Wikidata. Read the official Red List assessment for the criteria.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Lates microlepis?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Forktail lates a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.