Silver Katana

Changed feeding habits

The Silver Katana is a peaceful fish that has been severely affected by the introduction of the Nile perch to Lake Victoria. The Nile perch is a large predator that was introduced in the 1950s, and it eats many indigenous species.

Before the introduction of the Nile perch to Lake Victoria, the Silver Katana used to eat insects by the lake surface. After the Nile perch moved in and began to compete for both food and space, it was believed that the Silver Katana had become extinct. But it was later discovered that Silver Katanas occur around rocky areas of the lake where they eat insect larvae in the water. This is most likely an adaptation that the fish has developed in order to deal with the competition from the Nile perch. 

Quick swimmer

The Silver Katana is a quick swimmer that navigates easily in open water. The male is larger than the female, and when he reaches sexual maturity his head turns black and his sides turn silver. The female lays around 15 eggs at a time. The Silver Katana is a common and popular aquarium fish that belongs to the cichlid family.  

Mouthbrooding fish

The Silver Katana is a mouthbrooding species, which means that the fish carries the eggs in its mouth for a period of time after spawning, and in many cases also the newly hatched fry. Mouthbrooding is a great way to protect the eggs from predators. It also provides better oxygenation of the eggs, since oxygenated water passes through the gills of the fish and into the mouth. Mouthbrooding increases the frys’ chances of survival. Mouthbrooding species lay fewer eggs but invest a lot of work. The mouthbrooding parent eats nothing, or close to nothing, during the brooding.