Scientific name:
Malepteruridae

Natural spread:
equatorial Africa

the family of the tremor-catfish includes only one single type, the tremor-catfish or electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus), that are given a home in wide sharing of the equatorial Africa and also in the Nile-area. This up to 1 m long and until fish heavy to 25 kg is from extremely clumsy shape. The big, thickly-lipped mouth carries 3 pairs of Barteln. The back-fin is missing, finds a far behind begun one, big dorsal fin, for itself instead. The in the darkness phosphorescing, very small eyes lose its Sehtüchtigkeit presumably with the age. The jaw is small to ribbons ordered teeth occupied with many. The bare and slimy skin usually is from dim, dun color.

Electric organ In its home, the tremor-catfish is feared because of its strong electric discharges, that can gain a tension of over 400 volts. These strong tension-hits are generated by an electric organ lying densely under the skin. In contrast to the electric organ of the tremor-eel, that developed development-historically out of muscle-tissue, the electric organ of the tremor-catfish derives from changed skin-glands. It stretches over both body-sides of the head up to the tail-stalk and wraps consequently in which schwartigen skin hidden deeply the whole body as it were one.

The exact function of the electric organ of the tremor-catfish is not yet completely clarified. The one is used for it as guidance surely by building an electric field. The fish can apparently perceive disturbances of these field-lines in other fish or the ground-nature with help of sensitive Sinneszellen. The circumstance speaks in behalf of this supposition that these catfish blind or almost blind in the age are impaired in no way with the loot-acquisition. On the other hand, it was observed, like tremor-catfish aimed loot-animals with strong electric jolts deadened and then consumed. Finally, the organ fills as well a defense-function surely. Some fisher did already bad experiences with the catch of the palatable tremor-catfish. Because of its electric qualities, the tremor-catfish belongs also to the most known fish in its home-areas. Already the old Egyptians represented it on wall-pictures approximately 6000 years ago. In some African areas, the electric organs becomes use for salvation-purposes.