Mekong tiger perch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mekong tiger perch |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Spariformes |
| Family: | Lobotidae |
| Genus: | Datnioides |
| Species: |
D. undecimradiatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Datnioides undecimradiatus (Roberts & Kottelat, 1994)
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| Synonyms | |
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The Datnioides undecimradiatus, also known as the Mekong tiger perch, is a type of freshwater fish. It belongs to the family called Lobotidae, which includes tiger perches and tripletails. This special fish is found only in the lower and middle parts of the Mekong River basin in Indochina.
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About the Mekong Tiger Perch
The Mekong tiger perch was first officially described in 1994. Two scientists, Tyson R. Roberts and Maurice Kottelat, gave it the name Coius undecimradiatus. They found it in the Mekong River, near the Khone waterfalls in Laos. Later, scientists decided that the name Datnioides was the correct one for this group of tiger perches.
What its Name Means
The scientific name undecimradiatus has a special meaning. It comes from Latin and means "eleven rayed." This refers to the number of soft rays, which are like flexible bones, found in its anal fin. It usually has 11 or 12 of these rays.
How to Identify a Mekong Tiger Perch
The Mekong tiger perch has some unique features. Its mouth area, including the palatine and vomer bones, does not have teeth. Its tail fin is rounded, and the second dorsal fin and anal fin also have rounded parts. This makes the fish look like it has three tail fins!
Its dorsal fin has 12 strong spines and between 16 and 19 soft rays. The anal fin has 3 spines and 11 or 12 soft rays. The fish's body is quite deep, almost half as deep as its total length. It has four thin, dark stripes on its body. These stripes usually do not reach the bottom of its belly. The Mekong tiger perch can grow up to about 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) long.
Where Mekong Tiger Perch Live
This fish lives only in the lower Mekong River basin. You can find it in countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. It is a predator, meaning it hunts and eats other animals. It lives in both the main parts of rivers and smaller streams that flow into them.
Protecting the Mekong Tiger Perch
People catch the Mekong tiger perch for two main reasons: for food and to sell as aquarium pets. Most of the fish sold for aquariums are young ones caught from the wild. These fish are rare and expensive, so people really want them for their home tanks.
Because too many Mekong tiger perch have been caught, especially in Thailand, their numbers have gone down a lot. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed this fish as a Vulnerable species. This means it is at high risk of becoming extinct if we don't protect it.
 | Madam C. J. Walker |
 | Janet Emerson Bashen |
 | Annie Turnbo Malone |
 | Maggie L. Walker |
