genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

electric catfish Electric catfish or Malapteruridae is a family of catfishes (order Siluriformes). This family includes two genera, ''Malapterurus'' and '' Paradoxoglanis'', with 21 species. Several species of this family have the ability to generate electricity ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Nile River The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest ri ...

Buzi Buzi (Hebrew: בּוּזִי, ''Būzī'') was the father of Ezekiel and priest of Jerusalem ( Ezekiel 1:3). Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, is said to have been a descendant of Joshua by his marriage with the proselyte Rahab (Talmud Meg. 14b; Midrash Sifre ...

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesOgooué, Omo, Sanaga, Sabi-Lundi,

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣� ...

, Shari, Congo, and

Zambezi River The Zambezi River (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers , slightly less than hal ...

basins, as well as Lakes

Albert Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...

,

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Repub ...

, Kainji,

Tanganyika Tanganyika may refer to: Places * Tanganyika Territory (1916–1961), a former British territory which preceded the sovereign state * Tanganyika (1961–1964), a sovereign state, comprising the mainland part of present-day Tanzania * Tanzania M ...

, and Turkana.

Description

''Malapterurus'' have an elongate and cylindrical body that gives them the general appearance of a

sausage A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders. ...

. The eyes are small, the lips are rather thick, and the snout is rounded with widely separated nostrils. The

gill A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they ar ...

openings are narrow and restricted to the sides. ''Malapterurus'' species have three pairs of barbels, and lack a

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through c ...

. The pectoral,

pelvic The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton). The ...

, and

caudal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as s ...

s are rounded. The

swimbladder The swim bladder, gas bladder, fish maw, or air bladder is an internal gas-filled organ that contributes to the ability of many bony fish (but not cartilaginous fish) to control their buoyancy, and thus to stay at their current water depth w ...

has two elongate posterior chambers. Species in ''Malapterurus'' are generally grayish-brown on the back and sides, fading to an off white or cream color on the ventral surfaces of the head and body. There are irregular black spots or blotches randomly distributed on the sides of the body. The posterior half of the caudal peduncle usually has a dark brown or black vertical bar and a cream vertical bar immediately before it. The edges of the anal and caudal fins have a cream margin, and the base of the caudal fin has a cream region and a dark brown crescent-shaped band immediately after it. The electrogenic organ is derived from anterior body musculature and lines the body cavity. A fish that is 50 centimetres (19 in) in length can discharge up to 350 V. ''M. electricus'' is one of the few electric species that have been conditioned by means of reward to discharge on signal. As reported in the ''New York Times'' on April 2, 1967, researcher Dr. Frank J. Mandriota of City College of New York conditioned a ''M. electricus'' to discharge on a light signal for a reward of live worms delivered automatically. This is a first in conditioning that modified neither glandular nor muscular responses. ''M. electricus'' can grow as large as 122 centimetres (48 in) TL and .

Ecology

''Malapterurus'' species are generally found among rocks or roots in turbid or black waters with low visibility. They favor sluggish or standing water. ''M. electricus'' is a voracious

piscivore A piscivore () is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. The name ''piscivore'' is derived . Piscivore is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophage, both of which mean "fish eater". Fish were the diet of early tetrapod evoluti ...

. It uses its electrical discharges to stun prey. It is an opportunistic feeder and will feed on any readily available prey in the habitat. These fish are slow-moving, deliberate feeders with infrequent, heavy meals. Breeding pairs of ''M. electricus'' nest in holes about 3

metre The metre ( British spelling) or meter ( American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its p ...

s (10 ft) in length excavated in clay banks in water deep.

Relationship to humans

The electrical discharge of ''M. electricus'' is not known to be fatal to humans. ''M. electricus'' is eaten as food in certain parts of Africa. Along the shores of

Lake Kainji Kainji Lake, in North Central Nigeria, is a reservoir on the Niger River, formed by the Kainji Dam. It was formed in 1968 and is a part of Niger State and Kebbi State. Kainji Lake National Park (KNLP), situated around the lake, is Nigeria's ...

, smoked electric catfish is a popular delicacy. ''M. electricus'' is also sometimes encountered as an aquarium fish.

Species

There are currently 18 recognized species in this genus: * ''

Malapterurus barbatus ''Malapterurus barbatus'' is a species of electric catfish native to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Si ...

'' Norris, 2002 * ''

Malapterurus beninensis ''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 speci ...

'' Murray, 1855 * '' Malapterurus cavalliensis''