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Elephantfish (Mormyrops caballus) — Mormyridae

Elephantfish

Mormyrops caballus
Family: Mormyridae
LC · Least Concern

The Elephantfish (Mormyrops caballus) is a freshwater fish of the family Mormyridae that grows up to 46 cm.

Length
46 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The elephantfish is an elephantfish (Mormyridae) from West and Central Africa. The species has an elongate, dark body with a blunt head and a fairly small mouth. Like its relatives it generates a field with a weak electric organ in the tail with which it orients and communicates in turbid water. It lives bottom-bound in rivers and searches at night for insect larvae, insects and small invertebrates. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Elephantfish?

The Elephantfish has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Elephantfish live?

The Elephantfish lives in fresh water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Elephantfish get?

The Elephantfish grows to a maximum of about 46 cm.

Is the Elephantfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Elephantfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Elephantfish edible?

The Elephantfish is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Paard-olifantsvis sourced
English name
Elephantfish sourced
Scientific name
Mormyrops caballus
Family
Mormyridae

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
46.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Mormyrops

More from the family Mormyridae

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