Country Species Summary

Malapterurus electricus in Central African Republic
Electric catfish

Malapterurus electricus (Gmelin, 1789)
Family:	Malapteruridae (Electric catfishes)	picture (Maele_j0.jpg) by Tapalla, L.
Order:	Siluriformes (catfish)
Class:	Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
FishBase name:	Electric catfish
Max. size:	122 cm SL (male/unsexed; Ref. 3850); max. published weight: 20.0 kg (Ref. 3799); max. reported age: 10 years
Environment:	benthopelagic; potamodromous; pH range: 7 - 8; dH range: 20
Climate:	tropical; 23 - 30°C; 35°N - 30°S
Global Importance:	fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: public aquariums
Resilience:
Distribution:	Africa: occurs in much of the Nile system (exclusive of Lake Victoria), the Lake Turkana, Lake Chad and Senegal basins, throughout the Niger system, and in smaller southward flowing basins in west Africa (rivers Bandama through Volta) (Ref. 44050).
Diagnosis:	Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 9-11; Vertebrae: 38-41. Diagnosis: tooth patches narrow; pectoral fin placed near body mid-depth; 7-8 branched caudal fin rays; adults and young marked with large spots and blotches, some up to 4-5 times an eye diameter; caudal fin usually well-spotted in adults; caudal saddle and bar pattern poorly developed in all ages (Ref. 44050). Description: head deep and cylindrical; lower jaw only slightly prominent; 16-18 abdominal and 21-24 caudal vertebrae; 19 caudal fin rays (arrangement: ii-7-8-ii) (Ref. 44050). Coloration: dorsum tan or occasionally light grey; venter light tan; body bicolored but without sharp demarcation between dorsal and ventral shades; dorsum and flank marked with scattered spots and larger blotches, some as large as 4-5 times an eye diameter; blotching typically denser posteriad, where blotches may merge or overlap; venter usually unmarked, or with a few small spots; small spots usually present on paired fins of specimens larger than 15cm SL; caudal and anal fins well marked with small spots, plus some larger blotches on the caudal fin, in specimens of 15cm SL and larger; caudal fin bears a dusky bar with a pale basal crescent and a clear distal margin; dusky bar is narrow in juveniles and much broader in adults; pale basal crescent may be poorly developed in large adults, with the entire fin pigmented in the flank ground shade; caudal saddle and bar faint in juveniles, with the pale interspace matching the ground color; juveniles show a bar at the caudal fin base, and a less distinct saddle, extending ventrad to the body mid-depth; saddle has disappeared by 10cm SL, caudal bar may persist (faintly) in specimens up to 15cm SL; tiny juveniles (10-20m SL) are largely unpigmented (Ref. 44050).
Biology:	Occurs among rocks or roots; favors sluggish or standing water. Active at night, feeding mainly on fish stunned by electric shocks. The electric organ, capable of discharging 300-400 V, is derived from pectoral muscle and surrounds almost the entire body. It is used both for prey capture and defense. Electric organ discharge (EOD) is intermittent and the amplitude increases with size of the fish (Ref. 10011). Responds immediately to cyclic light changes, exhibiting maximum EOD activity shortly after sunset and lowest activity just after sunrise (Ref. 10798). Its EOD duration decreased from 1.5 to 0.3 ms in response to increased temperature from 15 to 30°C (Ref. 10838). Forms pairs and breeds in excavated cavities or holes (Ref. 7248)
Threatened:	Not Evaluated, see IUCN Red List , (Ref. 36508)
Dangerous:	other , Eccles, D.H.. 1992
Coordinator:
Main Ref:	Roberts, T.R.. 2000. (Ref. 34006)
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Central African Republic country information
Common names:	[ No common name ]	Ref:
Status:	native	Ref:
Salinity:	freshwater
Uses:	no uses
Comments:	Known from the rivers Bahr Sara, Gribingui, Bangoran and Djangare (Ref. 44050).
Country Information:	www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ct.html
Occurrences:	Occurrences Point map
Main Ref:	Norris, S.M., 2002
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Entered: Musschoot, Tobias

CGNET - US

Page created by: Eli, 20.10.03, last modified by Eli, 26.06.07

	Ref.:		Glossary
		(e.g. 9948)		(e.g. cephalopods)
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