Banded knifefish
| Banded knifefish | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gymnotiformes |
| Suborder: | Gymnotoidei |
| Family: | Gymnotidae |
| Genus: | Gymnotus |
| Species: | G. carapo |
| Binomial name | |
| Gymnotus carapo Linnaeus, 1758 | |
The banded knifefish (Gymnotus carapo) is a knifefish native to South America.
The banded knifefish is gray in color with a band of large black spots outlined with yellow on either side. It can reach up to 60 cm (about 24 in) in length. It lives in lakes and streams in virtually all of South America except for Chile. It is also native to Trinidad.
This species, as with all Gymnotiformes, has the capability to generate weak electric charges, and then measure the disturbance in the field of electricity created. This system is used for navigation by the fish.
Banded knifefish eat benthos, such as plants, arthropods, detritus, mollusks, worms, and small fish.[1]
References
- ↑ fishbase.org ; Accessed 5/2/07
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