Skip to main content
390 Featured Specimen
Black ghost knifefish

Details

Black ghost knifefish

Apteronotus albifrons

Size
30–50 cm · 100–400 g
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Sociality
Solitary
Lifespan
10–15 years

The black ghost knifefish is a South American electric fish with a dark blade-shaped body. At night it senses its surroundings with a weak electric field and hunts small animals.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
NeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropical

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It lives in forest rivers and flowing freshwater of the Neotropics. Wood, roots, rocks, and dim shelters are important.

Appearance

Length 30-50 cm; weight 100 g-400 g. A long black compressed body ends in white bands near the tail. It lacks a dorsal fin and moves forward or backward by rippling the long anal fin.

Behavior

Nocturnal and solitary, it hides by day. Weak electric signals help it detect obstacles and prey in turbid water.

Feeding

A carnivore, it eats small crustaceans, insect larvae, and small fishes. Electric sense and smell guide it in darkness.

Reproduction

Eggs are laid near shelter during breeding periods. Larvae grow on tiny invertebrate prey.

Notes

It is listed as Least Concern, though local populations can still be affected by habitat change, collection, or pollution.