Banded knifefish

The banded knifefish (Gymnotus carapo) is a South American electric fish with an elongated body marked by dark bands. It navigates and communicates using weak electric discharges.

Connect

Electric organ: A tissue that generates electrical discharges in certain animals. Specialized cells in this organ produce the fish’s weak electric field.
Gymnotus: A genus of South American electric knifefishes in the family Gymnotidae. Gymnotus carapo is the species’ scientific name within this genus.
Electrolocation: Locating objects by sensing changes in an electric field. Banded knifefish use electrolocation to detect prey and obstacles in dim water.
Amazon River: A major South American river system flowing eastward to the Atlantic Ocean. The banded knifefish occurs in freshwater habitats across the Amazon basin.
Electrocyte: A specialized cell that generates or detects electrical signals in an electric animal. Electrocytes provide the electrical output of the banded knifefish’s electric organ.
Gymnotidae: A family of South American electric fishes that includes the genus Gymnotus. This family provides the taxonomic level above the banded knifefish’s genus.
Electric communication: The exchange of information through electric signals between animals. Electric discharges can convey social information among electric fishes.
Orinoco River: A major river in northern South America flowing through Venezuela and Colombia. The species’ range includes freshwater habitats in the Orinoco region.
Active electrolocation: Sensing nearby objects by detecting changes they cause in an animal’s self-generated electric field. The fish detects objects when they distort its emitted electric field.
Weakly electric fish: An electric fish that produces fields too weak to stun prey or predators. Its discharges are used chiefly for sensing and communication, not electrocution.