Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Gymnotiformes (Knifefishes) >
Gymnotidae (Naked-back knifefishes) > Electrophorinae
Etymology: Electrophorus: Greek, elektron = amber + Greek,pherein = to carry (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Dr Richard Peter Vari (1949–2016) was a curator of fish at the Smithsonian. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
South America: lowland floodplain and terra-firme systems of the intercratonic Amazon Basin; including some streams in the Guiana Shield.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 149 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 120918)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is distinguished by the following characters: pectoral-fin rays 20-28; lateral-line pores 124-186 ((vs. 32-38 and 88-101, respectively, in E. electricus); narrow head (vs. wide in E. voltai); the distance between medial margins of contralateral dentaries at transverse through last two ventral pores is 2-3 times shorter than E. voltai; deep skull, cleithrum lies between vertebrae 1 and 2 (vs. depressed with cleithrum lying between vertebrae 5 and 6, in E. electricus and E. voltai). Low-voltage electric organ discharges or EOD duration 1.24-1.78 ms, high-voltage EOD 151 V (20.0 cm TL) to 572 V (60.9 cm TL) (Ref. 120918).
Obligate air-breathing (Ref. 126274)
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
de Santana, C.D., W.G.R. Crampton, C.B. Dillman, R.G. Frederico, M.H. Sabaj, R. Covain, J. Ready, J. Zuanon, R.R. de Oliveira, R.N. Mendes-Júnior, D.A. Bastos, T.F. Teixeira, J. Mol, W. Ohara, N.C. de Castro, L.A. Peixoto et al., 2019. Unexpected species diversity in electric eels with a description of the strongest living bioelectricity generator. Nature Communications (2019)10:4000. [+authors; Nagamachi, C.; Sousa, L.; Montag, L.F.A.; Ribeiro, F.; Waddell, J.C.; Piorsky, N.M.; Vari, R.P.; Wosiacki, W.B.] (Ref. 120918)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = No PD50 data [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.5 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Very high vulnerability (89 of 100).
