Black ghost knifefish

Black ghost knifefish
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gymnotiformes
Family: Apteronotidae
Genus: Apteronotus
Species:
A. albifrons
Binomial name
Apteronotus albifrons
(Linnaeus, 1766)

The black ghost knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons) is a tropical fish belonging to the ghost knifefish family (Apteronotidae). They originate in freshwater habitats in South America where they range from Venezuela to the ParaguayParaná River, including the Amazon Basin.[2] They are popular in aquaria. The fish is all black except for two white rings on its tail, and a white blaze on its nose, which can occasionally extend into a stripe down its back. It moves mainly by undulating a long fin on its underside. It will grow to a length of 18"-20". Only a fish for those with large aquariums, minimum 100 gallons.

Black ghost knifefish are nocturnal. They are a weakly electric fish which use an electric organ and receptors distributed over the length of their body in order to locate prey, including insect larvae.[3]

Black ghost knifefish with its underside pointing towards the camera
  1. ^ Frederico, R.G. (2022). "Apteronotus albifrons". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T49829499A159047904. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T49829499A159047904.en.
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2005). "Apteronotus albifrons" in FishBase. May 2005 version.
  3. ^ Nelson M. E. & MacIver M. A. (1999). "Prey capture in the weakly electric fish Apteronotus albifrons: sensory acquisition strategies and electrosensory consequences". J. Exp. Biol. 202: 1195–1203, pdf

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