The ghost knifefishes are a family, Apteronotidae, of ray-finned fishes in the order Gymnotiformes. These fish are native to Panama and South America.[1] They inhabit a wide range of freshwater habitats, but more than half the species in the family are found deep in rivers (typically deeper than 5 m or 16 ft) where there is little or no light.
The Apteronotidae should not be confused with the unrelated Notopteridae, which are also commonly called knifefishes.
They are distinguished from other gymnotiform fishes by the presence of a caudal fin (all other families lack a caudal fin) as well as a fleshy dorsal organ represented by a longitudinal strip along the dorsal midline.[1] They vary greatly in size, ranging from about 15 cm (6 in) in total length in the smallest species to 60 cm (2 ft) in the largest.[2] It has been claimed that Apteronotus magdalenensis is up to 130 cm (4.3 ft),[1] but this is not supported by recent studies, which indicate that it does not surpass about 50 cm (1.6 ft).[2][3] These nocturnal fish have small eyes.[4] Also, sexual dimorphism exists in some genera in snout shape and jaws.[4]
Apteronotids use a high frequency tone-type (also called wave-type) electric organ discharge (EOD) to communicate.[4]
Many Apteronotids are aggressive predators of small aquatic insect larvae and fishes, though there are also piscivorous and planktivorous species. Species of the genus Sternarchella are very unusual, preying on the tails of other electric fishes. Other species, such as Sternarchorhynchus and Sternarchorhamphus, have tubular snouts and forage on the beds of aquatic insect larvae and other small animals which burrow into the river bottom. At least one species (Sternarchogiton nattereri) eats freshwater sponges which grow on submerged trees, stumps, and other woody debris.
The genus Apteronotus is artificial and some of the species do not actually belong in it.
The black ghost knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons) and brown ghost knifefish (Apteronotus leptorhynchus) are readily available as aquarium fish. Others are known to appear in the trade but are quite rare.
^ abcNelson, Joseph, S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-25031-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ abvan der Sleen, P.; J.S. Albert, eds. (2017). Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas. Princeton University Press. pp. 322–330. ISBN 978-0691170749.
^Maldonado-Ocampo, J.A.; Santana, C.D. de; W.G.R. Crampton (2011). "On Apteronotus magdalenensis (Miles, 1945) (Gymnotiformes: Apteronotidae): a poorly known species endemic to the río Magdalena basin, Colombia". Neotrop. Ichthyol. 9 (3): 505–514. doi:10.1590/S1679-62252011000300005.
^ abcCite error: The named reference Fishbase was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
The black ghostknifefish (Apteronotus albifrons) is a tropical fish belonging to the ghostknifefish family (Apteronotidae). They originate in freshwater...
species do not actually belong in it. The black ghostknifefish (Apteronotus albifrons) and brown ghostknifefish (Apteronotus leptorhynchus) are readily available...
brown ghostknifefish (Apteronotus leptorhynchus) is a species of weakly electric knifefish in the family Apteronotidae. Only the brown ghostknifefish, a...
such as the black ghostknifefish (Apteronotus albifrons), the glass knifefish (Eigenmannia virescens), and the banded knifefish (Gymnotus carapo). Aside...
Knifefish may refer to several knife-shaped fishes: The Neotropical or weakly electric knifefishes, order Gymnotiformes, containing five families: Family...
known as the clown knifefish and spotted knifefish, is a nocturnal species of tropical fish with a long, knife-like body. This knifefish is native to freshwater...
Black ghost may refer to: Black ghostknifefish, a South American tropical fish The Black Ghost, a vigilante in the serial The Last Frontier The Black...
(family Muraenidae) possess their own set of teeth. The dentary of the ghostknifefish species Sternarchogiton nattereri (family Apteronotidae) has upper...
predators. Glass knifefish that are using similar frequencies move their frequencies up or down in a jamming avoidance response; African knifefish have convergently...
shark Black ghostknifefish The 16th episode of season 2 of My Goldfish Is Evil The codename for watchOS 3.2.3 Ghostfish: Catfished By A Ghost , a film from...
ansorgii 25 cm (9.8 in) Black ghostknifefish Apteronotus albifrons 50 cm (19.5 in) Not to be confused with the featherback "knifefish" of the Bonytongue group...
Parapteronotus hasemani, the duckbill knifefish, is a species of ghostknifefish found in main river channels and along the margins in the Amazon basin...
Apteronotus galvisi is a species of ghostknifefish that was first described in a 2007 scientific paper. It is endemic to Colombia. It has a mostly brown...
Apteronotus is a genus of weakly electric knifefish in the family Apteronotidae, distinguished by the presence of a tiny tail fin. This genus is restricted...
Melanosternarchus is a genus of ghostknifefish found in the Amazon basin of Brazil and Peru. The single species in this genus, Melanosternarchus amaru...
Sternarchorhamphus muelleri is a species of ghostknifefish that occurs in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in tropical South America. It has a long...
Sternarchella, the bulldog knifefish, is a genus of ghost knifefishes found at depths of 2–50 m (7–164 ft) in the main channel of large rivers in South...
the true eels (Anguilliformes) but are members of the electroreceptive knifefish order, Gymnotiformes. This order is more closely related to catfish. In...
Sternarchella schotti is a species of weakly electric knifefish in the family Apteronotidae. This species is endemic to Brazil where it is found in the...
M.J.; and J.S. Albert (2017). A New Species of Deep-Channel Electric Knifefish Compsaraia (Apteronotidae, Gymnotiformes) from the Amazon River. Copeia...
Global Information
