Lates, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, 1828

GENUS LATES CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, 1828 View in CoL View at ENA

1758 – Perca Linnaeus (erratum).

1828 – Lates Cuvier & Valenciennes , p. 88.

Type species: Perca nilotica ( Linnaeus, 1758) .

Emended diagnosis: The genus is monophyletic and characterized by the presence of a ridge on the articular process of the premaxilla; the bean-shaped exoccipital facets for the articulation with the first centrum. Moreover, Lates differs from both Psammoperca and † Eolates in having three rows of lateral line scales on the caudal fin.

It differs from Psammoperca in having the nostril of each side close together; no basihyal tooth patch and several supralamellar tooth patches on both the outer and the inner faces of the first four gill arches (these characters are unknown in † Eolates ). It differs from Psammoperca and resembles † Eolates in having a supramaxilla with an anterior process; a horizontal limb of the preoperculum with three or four spines (sometimes more) large and flattened in most species, reduced in some others; the posterior border of the posttemporal serrated; normally three small spines on the cleithrum posterior border; and a uroneural present.

In addition, Lates is characterized by the following characters: VC = 11+14(4); no parapophysis on the first 5–7 abdominal vertebrae; epineurals present on the first 5–7 abdominal vertebrae; Predorsal = 0/0/ 0+II/I+I/ D = VII(VIII) - I+10/12(13); A = III+7/9; the first 4–5 dorsal pterygiophores, and the first 2–5 anal pterygiophores bear bipartite rays (the rest of the pterygiophores in both the dorsal and the anal fins are tripartite); C = (6/11)-8-I: I-7-(6/9); stegural and uroneural present; caudal fin with a posterior border either rounded, truncated or forked; caudal spur present.

Occurrence: Eight Recent species, of which seven live in freshwater to brackish habitat of tropical Africa and one is in the coastal marine and estuarine waters of the Indo-Pacific. Fossil Lates are numerous in African and European continental deposits and they belong either to one of the six fossil † Lates species (see below), or to Lates niloticus , or are left as Lates sp.

Remark: Two subgenera were defined; however, they are not shown to be monophyletic. Lates ( Lates) with Recent and fossil species is probably a paraphyletic group. Lates ( Luciolates) could be monophyletic (see Discussion).