[3] The papermouth is found in southern and central Africa from the Congo Basin through Angola south to the Limpopo, including the upper Zambezi.

[4] The papermouth is a benthopelagic, potamodromous fish which occurs naturally in the larger pools of perennial rivers, which are cooler than the shallows.

[6] In turn, the papermouth is a prey species for birds, otters, large catfish and larger conspecifics.

[4] The papermouth is an aggressive fish and this makes it a popular target for anglers and fly fishers[6] and is harvested for human consumption.

[1] In some parts of its range it is thought to be declining,[6] but the IUCN class the species as being of "Least Concern", although they note that there are potential threats from pollution and overfishing.