Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Malapteruridae (Electric catfishes)
Etymology: Malapterurus: Greek, mala = a lot of + Greek, pteron = fin + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335); thysi: Named for the Belgian ichthyologist Dirk Thys van den Audenaerde, former director of the Royal Museum of Central Africa (Tervuren, Belgium) (Ref. 44050).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: Cess (=Nipoué) and Cavally rivers in Western Ivory Coast (Ref. 44050, 57130).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 24.0 cm SL (female)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 7 - 9; Vertebrae: 38 - 41. Diagnosis: tooth patches broad, semi-circular; pectoral fins placed low on body; 7-9 anal-fin rays; 20 caudal-fin rays (arrangement ii-7-8-iii, rarely ii-7-8-ii); 1-2 gill-rakers on upper branch of first arch; 38-41 vertebrae; caudal saddle and bar strongly developed; caudal saddle generally composed of concentrations of spots and blotches; caudal bar confined to base of caudal fin, not extending onto the caudal peduncle; body brown or tan; caudal fin darkly and solidly pigmented without pale basal crescent; lower lip, underside of head and mental barbels unpigmented or lightly pigmented (Ref. 44050).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Norris, S.M., 2002. A revision of the African electric catfishes, family Malapteruridae (Teleostei, Siluriformes), with erection of a new genus and descriptions of fourteen new species, and an annotated bibliography. Ann. Mus. R. Afr. Centr., Sci. Zool., 289:1-155. (Ref. 44050)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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