Electrophorus electricus

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Electrophorus electricus
Lateral view of Electrophorus electricus.png

Electrophorus electricus

Systematics
Sub-cohort : Ostariophysi
Order : New World Knifefish (Gymnotiformes)
Family : Knife eels (Gymnotidae)
Subfamily : Electrophorinae
Genre : Electric eels ( Electrophorus )
Type : Electrophorus electricus
Scientific name
Electrophorus electricus
( Linnaeus , 1766)

Electrophorus electricus is a species of electric eel ( Electrophorus ) that is found in the rivers and swamps of the Guiana Mountains . The terra typica of the species is located in Suriname .

features

Electrophorus electricus reaches a length of about one meter. The body height is 4.6 to 9% of the total length, the width of the body is 5 to 8.5% of the total length. The head length is 8.7 to 12% of the total length. The head is U-shaped when viewed from above or below and low compared to that of Electrophorus varii when viewed from the side. The cleithrum, a pair of cover bones in the fish's shoulder girdle, is located between the fifth and sixth vertebrae , as in Electrophorus electricus . The long anal fin is supported by 325 to 386 fin rays (320 to 395 in Electrophorus varii and 320 to 420 in Electrophorus voltai ), the pectoral fins have 32 to 38 fin rays (20 to 28 in Electrophorus varii and 23 to 31 in Electrophorus voltai ). The sideline is accompanied by 88 to 101 scales (124 to 186 in Electrophorus varii and 112 to 146 in Electrophorus voltai ). As with Electrophorus voltai , a light band can be seen every now and then along the sides of the body.

habitat

Electrophorus electricus occurs in the mountainous region of Guiana . In the species' habitat, the water is usually rich in oxygen and has a low conductivity (<30 µScm). The waters have a rocky bottom, there are rapids and waterfalls.

Systematics

The species was first described in 1766 by the Swedish naturalist Carl von Linné , the founder of binary nomenclature and the foundations of modern botanical and zoological taxonomy, under the name Gymnotus electricus . Synonym names are Gymnoti Tremuli , Gymnotus tremulus and Gymnotus regius . The genus Electrophorus was introduced in 1864 by the American ichthyologist Theodore Nicholas Gill . For more than 250 years, Electrophorus electricus was the only species of the genus Electrophorus, which is monotypical .

In September 2019 a study was published in which it was proven that three cryptic species were hidden under the name Electrophorus electricus , which outwardly look very similar, but genetically differ significantly. The designation Electrophorus electricus now only applies to the electric eels of the Guiana mountains ; the electric eels, which occur in the Amazon lowlands from the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Andes in the west to the mouth of the Amazon in the west, were re-described under the name Electrophorus varii , and those found in the southern Amazon basin in the rivers that drain the Brazilian shield towards the Amazon Electric eels were also newly described as Electrophorus voltai .

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e C. David de Santana, William GR Crampton, Casey B. Dillman, Renata G. Frederico, Mark H. Sabaj, Raphaël Covain, Jonathan Ready, Jansen Zuanon, Renildo R. de Oliveira, Raimundo N. Mendes -Júnior, Douglas A. Bastos, Tulio F. Teixeira, Jan Mol, Willian Ohara, Natália Castro e Castro, Luiz A. Peixoto, Cleusa Nagamachi, Leandro Sousa, Luciano FA Montag, Frank Ribeiro, Joseph C. Waddell, Nivaldo M. Piorsky, Richard P. Vari & Wolmar B. Wosiacki: Unexpected species diversity in electric eels with a description of the strongest living bioelectricity generator. Nature Communications, Volume 10, Article number: 4000 (2019), doi: 10.1038 / s41467-019-11690-z
  2. ↑ Linnaeus, C. (1766): Systema Naturae ( online )
  3. ↑ Gronovius, LT Zoophylacii Gronoviani fasciculus primus exhibens animalia quadrupeda, amphibia atque pisces, quae in museo suo adservat, rite examinavit, systematice disposuit, descripsit atque iconibus illustravit Laur. Zoophylacii Gronoviani. 1-136, pls. 1-13 (1763).
  4. ↑ Houttuyn, M. Natuurlyke historie of uitvoerige beschryving der dieren, planten en mineraalen, volgens het samenstel van den Heer Linnaeus. (Met naauwkeurige afbeeldingen, Amsterdam, 1764).
  5. ↑ Chiaje, SD Notes due to Gimnoti elettrici dall'America recati vivi in ​​Napolli. Nuov. Ann. Sci. Nat. Bologna 8, 268-273 (1847).