Kingdom Animalia Family Anabantidae Scientific name Ctenopoma multispine Rank Species | Class Actinopterygii Genus Ctenopoma Phylum Chordata Order Perciformes | |
Similar Ctenopoma, Ctenopoma maculatum, Anabas cobojius, Eastern Province rocky, Microctenopoma nanum | ||
Ctenopoma multispine, known as the many-spined ctenopoma or climbing perch, is an African freshwater fish. It is up to 14 cm (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. It is 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, 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.