Kryptoglanis, Tembeaussu, Gymnotus and Electrophorus

Kryptoglanis shajii (Vincent and Thomas 2011; 5.9cm long; extant) was originally considered an enigmatic subterranean catfish due to its barbels. Here it nests as an eel-knifefish with catfish-like barbels.

Gymnotus carapo (Linneaus 1758; up to 100cm in length) is the extant banded knifefish, a nocturnal small prey predator with essentially no dorsal, caudal or pelvic fins. The anal fin undulates for slow propulsion. The electric signal is weak. A close relative is Electrophorus (above).

Tembeassu marauna (Triques 1998, 18.8cm long) is an extant knifefish, close to Gymnotus in the LRT. There are pre-premaxillary teeth embedded in soft tissue. This is a rare and minimally electric fish. Scale bars are correted aove.

Electrophorus electricus (Linneaus 1766, 2m in length) is the extant electric eel and a close relative of the knifefish, Gymnotus (above). These appear to be derived from cave fish let loose into fresh water rivers in Africa and South America when they were still joined. The electric organs, derived from muscles, form the majority of the body by volume.

Electric eel ancestors Electrophorus to Coccosteus

Agassiz L 1833-43. Recherches sur les poissons fossiles. Imprimerie de Petitpierre et Prince, Neuchâtel.

Britz R, Kakkassery F and Raghavan R 2014. Osteology of Kryptoglanis shajii, a stygobitic catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes) from Peninsular India with a diagnosis of the new family Kryptoglanidae. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. 24 (3): 193–207.

Gmelin JF 1789. Caroli a Linné ... Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, Cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Editio Decima Tertia, Aucta, Reformata/ cura Jo. Frid. Gmelin. Volume 1, part 3. Lipsiae: Impensis Georg. Emanuel. Beer.

Goeldi E 1905. Nova zoologica aus der Amazonas-Region: Neue Wirbeltiere. In: Congrès International de Zoologie, 6. Compte-Rendu. W. Kundig & Fils, Genève, p.542-549.

Linnaeus C 1758. Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata.

Linneaus C von 1766. Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio duodecima, reformata. pp. 1–532. Holmiæ. (Salvius)

Putnam FW, 1872. The blind fishes of the Mammoth Cave and their allies. American Naturalist v. 6 (no. 1): 6-30. Also published in: Packard, Jr. and Putnam 1872. Life in the Mammoth Cave, etc. chapter 3, pp. 29-54.

Triques ML 1998. Tembeassu marauna, new genus and species of electrogenic neotropical fsh (Ostariophysi: Gymnotiformes: Apteronotidae). Revue française d'Aquariologie, 25:5-10.

Vincent M and Thomas J 2011. Kryptoglanis shajii, an enigmatic subterranean-spring catfish (Siluriformes, Incertae sedis) from Kerala, India. Ichthyological Research. 58 (2): 161–165. doi:10.1007/s10228-011-0206-6.

wiki/Kryptoglanis_shajii
wiki/Electrophorus
wiki/Gymnotus
wiki/Tembeassu_marauna

Siluriformes

Clarias

Guiyu

Hoplosternum

Ictalurus

Electrophorus

Acanthodii

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