Malapterurus electricus

Jitter catfish ( Malapterurus electricus )

The jitter catfish or catfish Electrical ( Malapterurus electricus ) is a predator of the family of electric catfish ( Malapteruridae ), which is currently represented by 21 species. The Latin species name electricus alludes to the ability of the fish to put his prey and predators sensitive power surges.

Features

The dither Wels can reach a maximum body length of 122 cm with a weight of 20 kg. Its scaleless body is oblong to cylindrical and colored gray - brown on the dorsal side. The body sides are flesh-colored and covered with numerous black dots, which are towards the tail increasingly larger. Side of the abdomen, chest and pelvic fins are yellowish - white or reddish, the tail fin at the base dark, then orange yellow with a red border. The head is slightly flattened, the eyes are small. Under the head sitting six barbels, a dorsal fin missing. Thoracic, abdominal and caudal fins are rounded. The pectoral fins are supported by fin rays 8 or 9, the pelvic fins of 6 fin rays. The latter sit about halfway between the tip of the snout and the base of the tail. The caudal fin has 9-10 rays. Spines absent in all fins. The adipose fin is low and has a rounded trailing edge. The power-generating muscles ( electroplax ) are located directly under the skin and cover up on the fins and the head, the entire body. They lie on a layer of current- repellent layers of skin, which is intended to prevent the fish being damaged by his own power surges. The electric shocks can always be generated and delivered to any muscle point. You can reach a thickness of 350-450 volts.

Distribution and habitat

The jitter catfish is native to West and Central Africa. Its distribution extends from the Senegal river basin over the Bandama, the Niger, Lake Chad and the basin of the Nile (but not in Lake Victoria ) to the Turkana. He is primarily found in near-shore waters zones, where he fast to slow-flowing, turbid habitats preferred. He considers himself there like between rocks and into the water reaching roots.

Lifestyle and diet

Little is known about the reproductive manner. The jitter catfish digs shallow, up to 3 m long pits in clay river banks that are 1-3 m deep in the water and in the spawning is placed.

The jitter catfish is nocturnal. The main activity time is a few hours after sunset. The jitter catfish hunts mainly small fish, whom he surprised by stalking and subsequent electric shock and swallowed as a whole. He eats any kind of fish.

The males of this species have a very very territorial. Any congener, which is equivalent to the territory owner of height and weight is kept vigorously at a distance, the rejection of attempts are unsuccessful, it is not uncommon to Kommentkämpfen in which body, barbels and power surges can be used. Also prey fish that are too large for consumption and even small fish chasing usage (abnormal food competitors ) are distributed by threatening gestures and short electric shocks.

Systematics and hazard

In the classical scheme of jitter catfish is placed in the superfamily Siluroidea. After molecular biological investigations he counts within the subordination of Siluroidei for "Big Africa " group. The jitter catfish is classified as " not at risk " in general, in Egypt, however, particularly in the Nile Delta, the stock is threatened by salinization of the delta brackish water and by poison chemical delivery from industrial plants.

Economic Importance

Even today the species is regionally popular as a food fish. For inexperienced and inattentive fishermen of the fishing effort of the dither catfish, because of its electrical abilities have adverse health consequences. Furthermore, there is the power muscles in the center of studies on neuronal metabolism, axonal transport and transmitter release within the current muscle cells.

Find out more

The species was known to the Ancient Egyptians. Representations of the dither catfish have been handed down from the early days, from the Old Kingdom come numerous, highly detailed relief images. These suggest that the Egyptians had apparently known the electrical capacity of the dither catfish: Fisherman caught the animals only with palm fiber cords or nets and beat them dead before they took the fish out of the water. The early Egyptian King Narmer (1st Dynasty) used a dither Catfish View as name characters.