Electric catfish

Malapterurus electricus

Also known as African electric catfish

FreshwaterFish

Electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus) — Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 39.4 in (100 cm)
Minimum tank: 198 gal (750 L)
Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Widespread across tropical Africa, including the Nile and Congo basins.
Family: Malapteruridae

Overview

This is a large, potentially dangerous predator that can deliver a real electric shock, so it must be kept alone in a species tank and handled with great care during maintenance. It reaches roughly a meter and needs a big tank of at least 750 liters with strong filtration and solid cover. It is aggressive and will eat any tankmate it can catch, so no companions of any kind. Feed meaty foods like fish, prawns, and earthworms, and never put your hands in the tank with the fish loose.

In the wild

The electric catfish lives in slow and still waters across tropical Africa, hiding by day among rocks, roots, and hollows and hunting at night. It prefers dim, calm surroundings with plenty of solid cover and gentle flow, at 23 to 28 degrees C. A species-only tank with a secure setup and no fragile equipment inside is the safe way to keep it.

Good to know

Malapterurus electricus can generate electric discharges of several hundred volts, with reports up to 350 to 450 volts, using specialized muscle-derived electric organs that wrap much of its body. It reaches around a meter in the wild, though captive fish often stay nearer 40 to 60 cm. It uses the shock both to stun prey and to defend itself.