Lates is a genus of lates perches belonging to the family Latidae. The generic name is also used as a common name, lates, for many of the species. The Nile perch has become infamous as an invasive species in the east African Lake Victoria, where many native cichlids now are extinct. In contrast to the Nile perch, several smaller members of the genus Lates with relatively restricted African distributions are themselves considered threatened.