Gnathonemus petersii
FAMILY
Mormyridae
TAXONOMY
Gnathonemus petersii Günther, 1862, "Old Calabar, Westafrika."
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Peter's elephantnose; German: Tapirfisch, Elefanten-Rüsselfisch, Spitzbartfisch.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Maximum length 9.8 in (25 cm). Slender, laterally compressed fish with long dorsal and anal fin located at the rear part of the body. Narrow caudal peduncle houses the weakly electric organ. Caudal fin deeply forked. Body coloration dark brown to black. Two whitish transversal bands at the beginning and in the middle of dorsal and anal fins. Chin barbel on lower jaw.
DISTRIBUTION
West Africa from Niger to Congo River basins. Limited to the Lower Niger, in the Ogun, in the Cross River Basin and in the Upper Chari.
HABITAT
Habitat not very well known, but probably slow-moving waters of large rivers.
BEHAVIOR
Social and nocturnal. Often occurs in large schools. Weakly electric discharges of the pulse type used for electrocommunication. Captive animals appear to have a complex social structure, with a nonlinear "peck order."
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Bottom-oriented, feeds on invertebrates of soft substrate.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Not known. Probably spawns during the rainy season.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Most important mormyrid species in the international fish trade. Known to aquarists for their "play" behavior. Often used in scientific studies concerning neuroanatomy, physiology, and behavior.
