South American Knifefishes and Electric Eels: Gymnotiformes - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Electric Eel (electrophorus Electricus): Species Accounts, Glass Knifefish (eigenmannia Lineata): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABIT
live water fishes larvae
South American knifefishes and electric eels live in South America and Central America.
South American knifefishes and electric eels live in small streams, large rivers, lakes, and various types of backwaters. Many of these fishes live in deep, main-river channels. Some live in water with low oxygen content and gulp air at the water surface. Most of these fishes tolerate very warm water.
Some South American knifefishes and electric eels eat mostly young insect larvae (LAR-vee), worms, and crustaceans (krus-TAY-shuns), water-dwelling animals that have jointed legs and a hard shell but no backbone. Some have large mouths and feed on large prey. Some feed on scales. Some have a long, curved mouth and search for insect larvae in holes and crevices.
Electric eels are used to study how electricity relates to biology. Some larger knifefishes are eaten by people who live in their geographic range.
South American knifefishes and electric eels are not threatened or endangered.
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South American knifefishes and electric eels can regrow the hind parts of their bodies. They are active at night and hide during the day among plants, in floating meadows, in crevices and holes, and under various kinds of shelter. During the day some species lie flat and motionless on the bottom, imitating leaves. Some species burrow in the sand during the day. South American knifefishes and elect…
Physical characteristics: Electric eels can reach a length of 8 feet (2.4 meters). They have no dorsal, tail, or pelvic fins and do not have scales. The bottom part of the head and throat is yellowish to orange, and the rest of the body is dull olive to almost black. These fishes produce electric discharges as strong as 700 volts. Geographic range: Electric eels live in northern South America.
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Physical characteristics: Female glass knifefishes are about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long. Males are about 14 inches (36 centimeters) long. Their bodies are slender, having only pectoral fins (PECK-ter-uhl) fins, or the front pair, and a very long anal fin. Except for the head, the fish are clear. Three black stripes run lengthwise along the body. Glass knifefishes are weakly electric. Geographi…
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