Citharinus citharus

{{Short description|Species of fish}}

{{Speciesbox

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn|author=Lalèyè, P. |year=2020 |title= Citharinus citharus |page= e.T182293A134901775 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T182293A134901775.en |access-date=28 September 2023}}

| image = The fishes of the Nile (Pl. XXV) (6815493820).jpg

| image_caption = Representation of the fish

| taxon = Citharinus citharus

| authority = (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809)

| synonyms = {{Specieslist

| Serrasalmus citharus | Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 1809

| Citharinus geoffroei | Cuvier, 1829

| Distichodus marnoi | Steindachner, 1881

| Citharinus citharus intermedius | Worthington, 1932

}}

| synonyms_ref = {{Cof genus|genus=Citharinus|access-date=3 June 2025}}

}}

Citharinus citharus, commonly called moonfish or mleke, is a species of lutefish from tropical Africa.{{FishBase |genus=Citharinus |species=citharus |id=5269 |month=August |year=2019}} C. citharus has detritivorous habits leading to its stomach containing high volumes of indigestible materials such as chitin, cellulose, and lignin. TThis species has adapted to digest protein and organic matter at a fast rate so that it can reach its nutritional needs while having a high concentration of indigestible material in its stomach. {{Cite journal |last=Blé |first=M. C. |last2=Arfi |first2=R. |date=2009 |title=Seasonal effects on the nutritive value of the natural food of three omnivorous fish ( Oreochromis niloticus , Sarotherodon galilaeus , Citharinus citharus ) in Batamani Pond (Mali, West Africa) |url=http://www.kmae-journal.org/10.1051/kmae/2009014 |journal=Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems |issue=393 |pages=03 |doi=10.1051/kmae/2009014 |issn=1961-9502|doi-access=free }}