African Electric Catfish

About

The African electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus) is one of the most genuinely dangerous freshwater fish a hobbyist can keep, and it demands serious respect before you commit. Native to a broad sweep of Africa, the Nile system, Lake Chad, the Niger basin, Lake Turkana, and the Senegal drainage among others, it occupies slow or still water, tucking itself among roots and rocks through the day and emerging after dark to hunt. And hunt it does: the electric organ wraps almost the entire body and can release discharges in the 300-400 volt range, enough to stun fish outright before swallowing them. That organ grows more powerful as the fish gets larger, and this species gets large. We're talking animals that can push past four feet in exceptional cases, though most captive specimens land well below that. Daytime hours are spent largely motionless; activity peaks sharply after sunset. In the wild, pairs excavate cavities for breeding during high-water periods. In the aquarium, this is strictly a species-only or carefully considered predator tank situation. Tankmates risk becoming a meal or receiving an unwanted shock. Experienced keepers who enjoy oddball predators find it a rewarding, long-lived project, but beginners should look elsewhere first.