Habitat. Lakes, backwaters, and slow-flowing rivers. Very common in reservoirs, canals, and other artificial water bodies. Spawns along banks in stagnant or slow-flowing water. A freshwater species that does not inhabit brackish water. Biology. Lives up to 5 years. Matures at 3 – 6 months or much younger, depending on temperature and food availability. Sexually monomorphic, male larger. Spawns when temperatures exceed 20 ° C between April and August in North Africa. Begins spawning in February in Lake Nasser (Egypt). Non-spawning individuals are gregarious along banks. Males form territories and dig shallow depressions in sandy or muddy shores to attract females. Nest is a circular depression up to 100 cm in diameter and 50 cm deep, usually twice length of breeding male. Males often builds their nests close together, forming leks. Females only visit nest to spawn. Courtship lasts several hours. Up to 200 eggs are laid in about 20 portions over 45 – 120 minutes. Eggs are picked up and placed in mouth by female as they are laid, before, during, or after fertilisation. No permanent pair bond; females incubate eggs alone while males court other females. Females may lay a full clutch with one male or several males in a series so that siblings have different fathers. Females do not feed during brood care or take small items of food, some of which are eaten in mouth by young. Water is circulated over eggs by chewing movements of female’s jaws. Females spawn several times during summer, often once a month. Females hold eggs and larvae in their mouths for about 20 days and guard-feeding juveniles for up to 2 weeks. Expanded temperature range: 8 – 42 ° C; natural temperature range: 13 – 33 ° C. Juveniles are omnivorous; juveniles and adults feed mainly on planktonic and epilithic blue-green algae, diatoms, and macrophytes.
Sumber: Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia