The Hepsetus odoe, also known as the African pike or Kafue pike, is a predatory fish, and the only living member of the Family Hepsetidae.

Anatomy and Morphology

It is an elongate fish with a pike

Esox

Esox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike...

-like body. This species can reach up to about 65 centimetres (25.6 in) SL.

Distribution

The Kafue pike inhabits tropical, freshwater lakes, coastal rivers, and swamps in Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

. It is widespread throughout central and west Africa, but is absent from the Nile river.

Ecology and Life History

The species prefers quiet and deep water, and may only live about five years.

Kafue pike spawn in the summer. They are oviparous, and lay their eggs in a nest of floating foam, which they then guard. Fry and juveniles inhabit well-vegetated marginal habitats.

Importance to humans

The Kafue pike is a gamefish. It also, on occasion, found as an aquarium fish, though its large size and piscivorous nature make it unsuitable for most aquarists.