''Mormyrops'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

weakly electric fish An electric fish is any fish that can generate electric fields. Most electric fish are also electroreceptive, meaning that they can sense electric fields. The only exception is the stargazer family. Electric fish, although a small minority, in ...

in the family

Mormyridae The Mormyridae, sometimes called "elephantfish" (more properly freshwater elephantfish), are a Mormyridae (superfamily) , family of Electric fish , weakly electric freshwater fish in the order Osteoglossiformes native to Africa. It is by far the ...

from freshwater in Africa. They are characterized by an elongate

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

measuring twice as long as high, and no

teeth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...

on the

palate The palate () is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly sepa ...

or the

tongue The tongue is a muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surfa ...

. The genus includes the largest member of the mormyrid family, the cornish jack (''Mormyrops anguilloides'') at up to in length.

Taxonomy and species

Matériaux pour la faune du Congo (6298589331)

According to

FishBase FishBase is a global species database of fish species (specifically finfish). It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web.

, there are currently 21 recognized species in this genus. One of these (marked with one star* in list) is often placed in its own genus ''

Oxymormyrus ''Oxymormyrus'' is a small genus of elephantfish in the family Mormyridae. Its members reach about in length and are restricted to the Congo, Campo, Kouilou-Niari, Nyanga and Ogowe river basins in Middle Africa. Taxonomy and species The ...

'' instead, and yet another (marked with two stars**) has occasionally also been placed in that genus. * '' Mormyrops anguilloides'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

1758) (Cornish jack) * '' Mormyrops attenuatus''

Boulenger Boulenger is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Benjamin Boulenger (born 1990), French footballer * Edward George Boulenger (1888–1946), British zoologist, director of aquarium at London Zoo * George Albert Boulenger (1858–1 ...

1898 (Upoto mormyrid) * ''

Mormyrops batesianus ''Mormyrops'' is a genus of weakly electric fish in the family Mormyridae from freshwater in Africa. They are characterized by an elongate head measuring twice as long as high, and no teeth on the palate or the tongue. The genus includes the larg ...

1909 (Bumba mormyrid) * '' Mormyrops boulengeri''* Pellegrin, 1900 (Alima River mormyrid) * '' Mormyrops breviceps''

Steindachner Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 in Vienna – 10 December 1919 in Vienna) was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians. Steindachner describ ...

1894 (Liberian elephantfish) * '' Mormyrops caballus'' Pellegrin 1927 (Sanaga mormyrid) * '' Mormyrops citernii'' Vinciguerra 1912 (Genale mormyrid) * '' Mormyrops curtus''

1899 (Boma mormyrid) * '' Mormyrops curviceps'' Román 1966 (Bougouriba mormyrid) * ''

Mormyrops engystoma ''Mormyrops'' is a genus of weakly electric fish in the family Mormyridae from freshwater in Africa. They are characterized by an elongate head measuring twice as long as high, and no teeth on the palate or the tongue. The genus includes the larg ...

1898 (Matadi mormyrid) * '' Mormyrops furcidens'' Pellegrin 1900 (Alima mormyrid) * ''

Mormyrops intermedius ''Mormyrops'' is a genus of weakly electric fish in the family Mormyridae from freshwater in Africa. They are characterized by an elongate head measuring twice as long as high, and no teeth on the palate or the tongue. The genus includes the larg ...

'' Vinciguerra 1928 (Rubi mormyrid) * '' Mormyrops lineolatus''

1898 * '' Mormyrops mariae'' ( Schilthuis, 1891) (Kinshasa mormyrid) * '' Mormyrops masuianus''

1898 * '' Mormyrops microstoma''

1898 (New Antwerp mormyrid) * '' Mormyrops nigricans''

1899 (Kutu mormyrid) * '' Mormyrops oudoti'' Daget 1954 (Bamako mormyrid) * '' Mormyrops parvus''

1899 (parvus mormyrid) * '' Mormyrops sirenoides''

1898 (sirenoides mormyrid) * '' Mormyrops zanclirostris''** ( Günther, 1867) (Pool elephantfish)

References

Mormyridae Ray-finned fish genera {{Osteoglossiformes-stub