Apteronotus albifrons - Definition and Overview

The Black Ghost Knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons) is a tropical fish belonging to the ghost knifefish family (Apteronotidae). They originate in South America in the Amazon Basin in Peru and from Venezuela through Paraguay in the Paraná Rivers. They are sometimes found in aquaria. The fish is all black except for a single white ring on its tail. It moves mainly by undulating a long fin on its underside. It will grow to a maximum length of 20 inches (50 cm centimeters).

The Black Ghost Knifefish natively lives in fast moving, sandy bottom creeks in a tropical climate. They prefer water with a 6.0 - 8.0 pH, a water hardness of 5.0 - 19.0 dGH, and a temperature range of 73-82 F (23-28 C). A nocturnal fish, they use an electric organ and receptors distributed over the length of their body in order to find insect larvae.

See also

• List of freshwater aquarium fish species

References

• "Barbus tetrazona" (TSN 163328) (http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=163328). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. N.p.: Integrated Taxonomic Information System, 2004. Accessed on 12 November 2004.
• "Puntius tetrazona (http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Puntius&speciesname=tetrazona)". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. September 2004 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2004.