The Nile Perch

These huge-growing fish, which are found naturally in the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger, Lake Chad, Volta and Lake Turkana, were also introduced into Lake Victoria and a few other watersheds throughout Africa.

Nile Perch are a much sought-after sport fish that grow big quickly and can attain weights of over 250lb.

Once hooked and having stripped plenty of line from the reel, most large Nile Perch will blast their way to the surface and explode on top in a gill-raking attempt to rid themselves of 2-3 sets of treble hooks in their bucket-sized cavernous mouths.

Nile Perch are generally dark silver/pewter-coloured fish but depending on the depths they live in and the colour and temperature of the water, they can turn to yellowy/gold, green, bright silver, deep black, or all of the above. With a similar shape, a huge spiky dorsal fin, sharp gill covers and a transparent red eye, they are from the same family as the Australian barramundi.