Gymnotidae - Naked-back knifefishes
Description
The naked-back knifefishes are a family (Gymnotidae) of knifefishes found only in fresh waters of Central America and South America.
All have organs adapted to the exploitation of bioelectricity.
The family has about 40 valid species in two genera.
These fish are nocturnal and mostly occur in quiet waters from deep rivers to swamps. In strongly flowing waters, they may bury themselves.
Physical characteristics
Like the other gymnotiforms, gymnotids have classic knifefish bodies. The body is long and eel-like, the dorsal fin and pelvic fins are absent, and the anal fin is extremely long and used for movement.
Genera
According to FishBase, there are 40 species in two genera, but this does not include 4 new species described in 2016–2018.
- Electrophorus (3 species)
- Gymnotus (43 species)
