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Electric catfish or Malapteruridae is a family of catfishes (order Siluriformes). This family includes two genera , Malapterurus and Paradoxoglanis , with 21 species . [ 1 ] Several species of this family have the ability to generate electricity , delivering a shock of up to 350 volts from its electric organ . [ 2 ]
Malapterurus beninensis is a species of electric catfish native to the African nations of Angola, Benin, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo. This species grows to a length of 22 cm (9 in) SL. [3] Its habitat is lowland marshes, rivers, and lakes.
Malapterurus species are generally found among rocks or roots in turbid or black waters with low visibility. They favor sluggish or standing water. [ 3] M. electricus is a voracious piscivore. It uses its electrical discharges to stun prey. It is an opportunistic feeder and will feed on any readily available prey in the habitat.
Malapterurus electricus is a thickset fish with six mouth barbels and a single fin on its back, just anterior to the rounded tail fin. It is brownish or grayish, irregularly spotted with black, and attains a length and weight of about 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in) and 23 kilograms (51 lb) M. electricus is capable of generating and controlling the discharge of up to 450 volts of electricity.
An electric fish is any fish that can generate electric fields, whether to sense things around them, for defence, or to stun prey. Most fish able to produce shocks are also electroreceptive, meaning that they can sense electric fields. The only exception is the stargazer family (Uranoscopidae). Electric fish, although a small minority of all ...
Malapterurus microstoma, the smallmouth electric catfish, is a species of electric catfish native to the Congo River basin of Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. [1][2] This species grows to a length of 55.5 centimetres (21.9 in) SL. This fish can be found in the aquarium trade. [2]
T. R. Roberts, 2000 [1] Synonyms. Malapterurus polli S. M. Norris, 2002[2] Malapterurus tanganyikaensis is a species of electric catfish native to Lake Tanganyika where it occurs in the bordering nations of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Zambia. This species grows to a length of 49.5 centimetres (19.5 in) SL.
An electric fish generates an electric field using an electric organ, modified from muscles in its tail. The field is called weak if it is only enough to detect prey, and strong if it is powerful enough to stun or kill. The field may be in brief pulses, as in the elephantfishes, or a continuous wave, as in the knifefishes.