Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Gymnotiformes (Knifefishes) > Apteronotidae (Ghost knifefishes)
Etymology: Apteronotus: Greek, apteros = without wings / (in this cases, fins) + Greek, noton = back (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 24°C - 28°C (Ref. 2059), preferred ?

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

South America: the Guianas, Brazil and Peru; rivers of Colombia and Venezuela, including the Catatumbo River.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 13.0, range 13 - ? cm
Max length : 26.9 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 36886)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal fin reduced to a dorsal filament;

Prefers fast flowing rivers (Ref. 26543). Forms loosely associated groups in rocky habitats or river banks (Ref. 10605). Nocturnal (Ref. 26543). Each individual fish possesses a unique spatiotemporal pattern of electric organ discharge (EOD) potentials distributed over the body surface (Ref. 10595). Chirps and EOD frequency modulations are important elements of courtship behavior and are sensitive to testosterone levels (Ref. 10011, 10883). Seems to reach sexual maturity at 1 year of age, based on breeding experiments (Ref. 10011). Tuberous electro receptors are differentiated and functional in larvae at day 9; electric organ and electro receptors both present in the larvae at the time of first exogenous feeding (Ref. 10605).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Eggs of about 3 mm diameter are deposited in crevices. Several days up to 2-3 weeks between batch spawnings. Larvae hatch after 4 days and start feeding on day 11.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Albert, James S. | Collaborators

Ortega, H. and R.P. Vari, 1986. Annotated checklist of the freshwater fishes of Peru. Smithson. Contrib. Zool. (437):1-25. (Ref. 6329)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Not Evaluated

CITES (Ref. 94142)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO(Publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

More information

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Common names
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Eggs
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Age/Size
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Internet sources

Apteronotus leptorhynchus (Ellis, 1912)