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With an abundance of fish species in the world, it is easy to forget all the fish in the water. One type that seems to come out of fiction is the electric fish. There are about 350 species of electric fish in the world. A fish that can generate electricity is called electrogenic, but some fish can also detect electric fields, which are electropositive. sharks, catfish, and stingrays are some common species that can detect electricity, but it is much rarer that one species can produce electricity.
The types of electric fish that can produce a charge can do so thanks to their electric organ. This organ is made of modified organs and nerve cells that evolved capable of producing a larger charger. Communication and defense are the main uses of this electric organ. Waters in Africa, India, South America and the ocean are where most species of electric fish live. As we go through this list, you’ll find 10 types of electric fish and interesting things to know about each.
10. Glass Knife Fish
The glass knife comes from South America, Africa and Asia fish has become a popular species to keep in an aquarium. They belong to the Sternopygidae family and are also known as the rat-tailed knifefish. Large freshwater rivers such as the Amazon with deep fast flowing water are where they are most commonly found.
They reach a size of 17 inches and have a lifespan of about 3 to 6 years. Their bodies are transparent with no dorsal fin. The electrical organ in their body produces only a weak current and is mostly used for communication. As a hardy species, they can be kept as pets in aquariums but not with small fish because they are predators in the wild. Being a scaleless species, they are more susceptible to disease.
9. Pacific Electric Ray
It’s common for some stingrays to be able to produce an electric charge, and the electric radius of the Pacific Ocean, (Tetronarce californica) is one of those types. They live in the Pacific Ocean on the western coast of North America and inhabit sandy plains, rocky reefs and kelp forests at depths of about 200 meters (660 ft). They are thick and floppy with an oval-like body. Their color is dark gray to blue. With an average length of 55 inches, they can weigh up to 90 pounds.
Shocks from these fish are produced on the side of their bodies where their electrical organ is located. Capable of producing about 45 volts, they hover around prey and jerk while hunting. The night is when they hunt small bony fish. Fishermen casting off piers occasionally come across this species and have to grab them by the tail so as not to be startled.
8. Black Ghost Knifefish
The black ghost knifefish is a freshwater species that uses electricity to navigate. Although the electricity produced is not enough to cause shocks, they are blind and emit electricity to navigate. They are benthic animals found in tropical waters in South America.
All black, they have two white rings on their tail and a white stripe on their nose. They get their name from their shape, which resembles a knife. This species is a popular pet to keep and can live well with other large species. They feed on insects, larvae and other large fish and are mostly nocturnal. Hunting is also done using their electric field as their eyesight is not developed as they are mostly active at night. Sometimes they are aggressive and have a beak that can cause minor damage to humans.
7. Common Torpedo
Common torpedoes also called the torpedo fish (torpedo torpedo) is a species of electric ray in the Torpedinidae family. They inhabit the Mediterranean and parts of the eastern Atlantic. Torpedoes emit an electric shock of about 200 volts, used to shock predators or fish that he hunts. They have been found in water as deep as 400 m (1,300 ft).
In soft-bottomed habitats, they will generally live, occasionally burrowing into the ground. At night they hunt and are considered an ambush predator. Bony fish such as mackerel and herring are stunned with electricity and then eaten. If a person is shocked, it can cause nerve damage, but is usually not life-threatening.
6. Cornish Jack
Cornish jacks are capable of producing weak electrical pulses from their electric organ. Finding food and communication is what they use their electrical pulse for, as their charge is too weak to do any damage. Cornish jacks are a demersal species living in tropical freshwater habitats. They can be found in the White Nile, the Lake Albert basin and inland waterways in Africa. With an elongated head and body, they have a gray color with a light bronze belly. They feed on fish, crustaceans and insect larvae.
5. Electric catfish
One of the more unique types of catfish is the electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus), originating from the rivers in Central and West Africa. In the family of malapterurs, there are only two species, the electric catfish and smallmouth electric catfish. The largest of this species grows to about 3 feet and retains the appearance of an average catfish.
Like wickers and their bodies shaped like other catfish, they can produce a medium voltage of about 300 to 400 volts. This is used to stun prey and defend itself from predators. Electric catfish are sometimes kept as pets, but cannot be housed with other fish that are not of the same species. They will stun and kill other fish, but are immune to their own shock. Areas in the US, such as rivers and lakes that are similar to their endemic habitats, have some populations of this species due to its invasive and dominant nature.
4. Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus)
Electrophorus electricus is more commonly known as the electric eel, which inhabits rivers in parts of South America such as the Guyanas, Orinoco and parts of the Amazon Rivers. They inhabit muddy bottoms with dense vegetation and shade. Unlike other fish, the electric eel gets most of its oxygen from going to the surface and breathing air. Electric eels are very similar to other eels, but are actually ostariophysan. They have long snake-like bodies and a powerful electrical organ that develops with age. When fully grown, they can produce about 600 volts, used to stun prey and ward off predators. It was originally thought to be the only species of electric eel, but with more research in the Amazon, scientists were able to find two more species of electric eel.
3. Voltas Electric Eel
With the crown of the most powerful electric animal in the world, the voltas electric eel (Electrophore voltage) is a newly discovered species that can produce about 850 volts with its charge. This voltage is the strongest of all animals, beating second place at 250 volts. They are found in freshwater rivers in South America and can grow up to 8 feet in length. Mostly active at night, they hunt in packs that prey on fish resting in shallow water. Able to take out a human with this charge, the voltas electric eel shows us the variety of life in the Amazon. Their payload is mostly used for hunting, and they have been seen in groups as large as 30.
2. Coffin Ray
Coffin Rays (Hypnos monopterygius) are an electric Ray species found on the coasts of Australia. They live at depths of about 80 meters (260 ft). Divers and swimmers can find this species in the sand during the day. They are nocturnal and spend their time on the sea floor. Coffin beams can acquire a powerful voltage of about 250 watts, which can cause shocks several times. Their name is fitting as they are capable of knocking people off their feet and numbing their limbs with their shock.
Coffin rays have a pearly floppy body. Their electric organ is visible on both sides of their bodies. They have an enlarged pectoral fin disc and a small tail. They grow to about 16 inches and are usually gray or black in color. Their shock and camouflage are their main defense against predators. As slow and weak swimmers, they will stay still to try and hide from predators.
1. Northern Stargazer
Northern Stargazers are one of the most fearsome types of electric fish. Large round bodies, large frown-shaped mouths with sharp teeth and small eyes are some of their characteristics. They reach a size of 22 inches and their skin is dark brown. They live at the bottom of deep oceans in open water and are most common along the Atlantic coast in eastern North America.
Northern stargazers hide and bury themselves in the sand, as they come out to consume passing prey. Their shock is small, about 50 volts, and is usually used to ward off predators. When handled by a human, their shock is harmless, but they are also a venomous species. Large spines on their pectoral fin are where the venom lies and can be extremely painful to humans.
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