Electric Catfish | 水產百科網

Expertfacts,careadvice,feedingtipsandbreedinginformationabouttheElectricCatfish(Malapteruruselectricus)forfreshwateraquariumenthusiasts.

Care

The Electric Catfish is known from much of Central Africa that lies north of the Zambezi River, although it is absent from Lake Victoria and the Congo basin. This is a beast of a bottom-dweller that not only attains a large, bulky size, but is capable of discharging up to 400V - enough to stun an adult human. This significant electrical charge, generated by a unique pectoral muscle that surrounds most of the body, is used for both capturing prey and for defence. It goes without saying that this is a species that must be kept on its own. The aquarium should be as long and wide as possible, as although this is a largely sedentary species, it obviously requires a tank that is spacious enough for it to turn around comfortably. The substrate should consist of soft sand or very fine rounded gravel as the Electric Catfish spends the majority of its time on the bott...