Gymnarchus niloticus
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| Gymnarchus niloticus Cuvier, 1829 |
Gymnarchus niloticus, other names in English including aba, aba aba, frankfish, and African knifefish, is the only species in the family Gymnarchidae within the order Osteoglossiformes. Gymnarchus niloticus is described as having a long and slender body, lacking caudal, ventral, and anal fins. The fish is nocturnal and has poor vision. It navigates and hunts prey in darkness via a weak electric field similar to the electric eel. The fish can grow up to 167 cm (65.7 in) and 19 kg (42 lbs).
Gymnarchus niloticus ranges exclusively in Africa and more specifically the rivers Nile, Niger, Volta, Chad, and Gambia.
[edit] References
- "Gymnarchus niloticus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. Mar 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.
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