''Malapterurus'' is a genus of catfishes (

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Siluriformes) of the electric catfish family (Malapteruridae). It includes 18 species.

Distribution

The genus ''Malapterurus'' is found throughout western and central tropical Africa and the

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 rive ...

. They occur in all major freshwater systems including the

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 Sifr ...

, Niger, Ogooué,

Omo Omo or OMO may refer to: Geography Ethiopia * Omo River (Ethiopia), in southern Ethiopia is the largest Ethiopian river outside the Nile Basin and namesake for all the topics below * Omo Nada, one of the woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia ...

, Sanaga, Sabi-Lundi, Senegal, Shari,

Congo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...

, and Zambezi River basins, as well as Lakes Albert,

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 Republic ...

, 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 Main ...

, and Turkana.

Description

''Malapterurus'' have an elongate and cylindrical body that gives them the general appearance of a sausage. The eyes are small, the lips are rather thick, and the snout is rounded with widely separated nostrils. The gill openings are narrow and restricted to the sides. ''Malapterurus'' species have three pairs of barbels, and lack a dorsal fin. 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 fins are rounded. The swimbladder 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. 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 metres (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 oldes ...

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

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

fish.

Species

There are currently 18 recognized species in this genus: * '' Malapterurus barbatus'' Norris, 2002 * '' Malapterurus beninensis''

Murray Murray may refer to: Businesses * Murray (bicycle company), an American manufacturer of low-cost bicycles * Murrays, an Australian bus company * Murray International Trust, a Scottish investment trust * D. & W. Murray Limited, an Australian who ...

, 1855 * '' Malapterurus cavalliensis''

Roberts Roberts may refer to: People * Roberts (given name), a Latvian masculine given name * Roberts (surname), a popular surname, especially among the Welsh Places * Roberts (crater), a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon ;United Stat ...

, 2000 * '' Malapterurus electricus'' (

Gmelin Gmelin may refer to: * Gmelin's test, a chemical test * Gmelin database, a German handbook/encyclopedia of inorganic compounds initiated by Leopold Gmelin People * Carl Christian Gmelin (1762–1837), German botanist, author of ''Flora Badensis ...

, 1789) (Electric catfish) * '' Malapterurus leonensis''

, 2000 * ''

Malapterurus melanochir ''Malapterurus melanochir'' is a species of electric catfish endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it occurs in the upper and middle Congo River The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), forme ...

'' Norris, 2002 * '' Malapterurus microstoma'' Poll &

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, 1969 (Smallmouth electric catfish) * '' Malapterurus minjiriya'' Sagua, 1987 * '' Malapterurus monsembeensis''

, 2000 * '' Malapterurus occidentalis'' Norris, 2002 * '' Malapterurus oguensis'' Sauvage, 1879 * '' Malapterurus punctatus'' Norris, 2002 * '' Malapterurus shirensis''

, 2000 * '' Malapterurus stiassnyae'' Norris, 2002 * '' Malapterurus tanganyikaensis''

, 2000 * '' Malapterurus tanoensis''

, 2000 * '' Malapterurus teugelsi'' Norris, 2002 * '' Malapterurus thysi'' Norris, 2002

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1883238 Malapteruridae Strongly electric fish Freshwater fish genera Fish of Lake Turkana Catfish genera Taxa named by Bernard Germain de Lacépède