Black ghost knifefish

Black ghost knifefish hunt at night, staying still and well-hidden during the day. Equipped with vision adapted to their lifestyle, they primarily rely on their electro-sensory system to navigate their environment.

Their electric organ is a long bundle of excitable fibers located in the dorsal part of their tail, which acts like an antenna. They produce synchronous and repetitive electrical discharges that generate an electric field around them. Since the discharges from the electric organ are repetitive, the electric field is wavelike.

These discharges are of low intensity and pose no danger to humans.

Most gymnotiformes swim with their bodies straight, undulating their anal fin while keeping their body rigid. However, this species also has the particularity of moving sideways and can also swim backward.