CreatureData

Aquatic genet

Genetta piscivora (J. A. Allen, 1919)

NTNear Threatenedmammals

The aquatic genet (Genetta piscivora) is a species in the family Viverridae, order Carnivora. Recorded adults weigh about 1.65 kg. Its IUCN Red List status is Near Threatened.

Aquatic genet (Genetta piscivora)
Photo: Richard Deckert · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the aquatic genet

Weight
1.65 kgsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Piscivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Young per litter or clutch
0.96src for Young per litter or clutch
Active
At night (nocturnal)src for Active
Lifestyle
Arborealsrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the aquatic genet live?

Not recorded

What is the aquatic genet?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The aquatic genet (Genetta piscivora), also known as the fishing genet, is a genet that has only been recorded in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since it is only known from about 30 specimens in natural history museums, it had been listed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List since 1996, as it is considered one of Africa's rarest carnivores. In 2015, it has been reassessed as Near Threatened.

When Joel Asaph Allen described the aquatic genet as a new genus and species in 1919, he named it Osbornictis piscivora. It was reassessed in 2004, and based on molecular evidence is now considered a Genetta species.

From the Wikipedia article “Aquatic genet” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aquatic_genet&oldid=1380852344), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the aquatic genet endangered?

The aquatic genet is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List: it is close to qualifying as threatened.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Near Threatened species.

How is the aquatic genet classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classMammalia
  4. orderCarnivora
  5. familyViverridae
  6. genusGenetta
  7. SpeciesGenetta piscivora (J. A. Allen, 1919)

Synonyms Osbornictis piscivora

Other names and names in other languages (18)
  • زريقاء مائيةArabic
  • ženetka vodníCzech
  • WassergenetteGerman
  • WasserschleichkatzeGerman
  • WasserzivetteGerman
  • Gineta acuáticaSpanish
  • Jineta acuáticaSpanish
  • Jineta pescadoraSpanish
  • vesigenettiFinnish
  • Genette aquatiqueFrench
  • Genetta acquaticaItalian
  • ミズジェネットJapanese
  • 수생제넷Korean
  • VanngenettNorwegian Bokmål
  • WatercivetkatDutch
  • RybożerPolish
  • Żeneta rybożernaPolish
  • Водяная циветаRussian

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the aquatic genet

Other species in the same genus Genetta.

LC, Least Concern
Cape genet (Genetta tigrina)

Cape genet

Genetta tigrina

Viverridae

CompareAquatic genet vs Common genetAquatic genet vs Cape genetAquatic genet vs Abyssinian genetAquatic genet vs Angolan genet

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the aquatic genet?

An adult aquatic genet weighs 1.65 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the aquatic genet endangered?

The aquatic genet is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is close to qualifying as threatened.

What kind of animal is the aquatic genet?

The aquatic genet (Genetta piscivora) belongs to the family Viverridae in the order Carnivora.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Aquatic genet (Genetta piscivora). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/aquatic-genet

MLA

“Aquatic genet (Genetta piscivora).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/aquatic-genet.

BibTeX
@misc{aquatic_genet_2026,
  title = {Aquatic genet (Genetta piscivora)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/aquatic-genet},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}