Cloning of gonadotropin Gph-alpha, FSH-beta and LH-beta subunits and seasonal profiles of steroid hormones in wild-caught Nile perch, Lates niloticus

•Seasonal variation in the plasma steroid hormones (Estradiol and 11-Ketotestorone) levels in Nile perch was established.•The gonadotropin hormone subunits (npgph-α, npfsh-β, and nplh-β) were cloned from Nile perch.•The sequences for the gonadotropin subunits were to relate the phylogeny of Nile perch (Lates niloticus) to other teleosts.•The gonad histology, expression profiles of steroid hormones and FSH were used to predict the spawning season.