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Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Siluriformes (Catfish) > Malapteruridae (Electric catfishes)
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Silure électrique, Zesgo, Nkunta, ... more

Main reference

Roberts, T.R. 2000. (Ref. 34006)
References | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 122 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3850); max. published weight: 20.0 kg (Ref. 3799); max. reported age: 10 years (Ref. 7248)

Environment

Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 7.0 - 8.0; dH range: ? - 20; potamodromous (Ref. 51243)

Climate / Range

Tropical; 23°C - 30°C (Ref. 1672), preferred ?; 35°N - 30°S

Distribution

Africa: typical Sudanian distribution; occurs in much of the Nile system (exclusive of Lake Victoria), Lake Turkana (Ref. 44050), Lake Chad and Senegal basins, Konkouré, throughout the Niger system, and in smaller southward flowing basins in west Africa (rivers Sassandra and Bandama through Volta) (Ref. 44050, 57130). Absent from the Congo basin; reports from the Congo basin refer to any of the other species in this system (see Ref. 44050 for details).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 9 - 11; Vertebrae: 38 - 41. Diagnosis: tooth patches narrow; pectoral fin placed near body mid-depth; 7-8 branched caudal fin rays; adults and young marked with large spots and blotches, some up to 4-5 times an eye diameter; caudal fin usually well-spotted in adults; caudal saddle and bar pattern poorly developed in all ages (Ref. 44050).

Occur among rocks or roots; favors sluggish or standing water. Active at night, feeding mainly on fish stunned by electric shocks. The electric organ, capable of discharging 300-400 V, is derived from pectoral muscle and surrounds almost the entire body. It is used both for prey capture and defense. Electric organ discharge (EOD) is intermittent and the amplitude increases with size of the fish (Ref. 10011). Responds immediately to cyclic light changes, exhibiting maximum EOD activity shortly after sunset and lowest activity just after sunrise (Ref. 10798). Its EOD duration decreased from 1.5 to 0.3 ms in response to increased temperature from 15 to 30°C (Ref. 10838). Adults form pairs and breed in excavated cavities or holes (Ref. 7248). Maximum size in Lake Chad reported as 1125mm SL, but most museum specimens much smaller (maximum 400mm SL, Nile River)(Ref. 57130).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Least Concern (LC)

Threat to humans

Other (Ref. 4967)

Human uses

Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; gamefish: yes

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance

References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion

Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
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Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD₅₀ = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
2.9 ±0.38 se; Based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tmax=10; Fec < 1,000)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
High to very high vulnerability (74 of 100)

Price category (Ref. 80766)
Unknown

Malapterurus electricus (Gmelin, 1789)