Category
page 1Gymnotiformes

Gymnotiformes
The Gymnotiformes are an order of teleost bony fishes commonly known as Neotropical knifefish or South American knifefish, which inhabit fresh water (the only exceptions are species that occasionally may visit brackish water to feed). These mostly nocturnal fish have long bodies and swim using undulations of their elongated anal fin. They are electric fish, are capable of producing electric fields for various purposes, such as detecting prey, for navigation, communication, and, in the case of the electric eels (Electrophorus spp.), attack and defense. A few species are familiar to the aquarium
Hypopomidae
The Hypopomidae are a family of fishes in the order Gymnotiformes known as the bluntnose knifefish. They may also be called grass or leaf knifefishes. These electric fish are not often eaten, of little commercial importance, rarely kept as aquarium fish, and poorly studied; however, species in this family may constitute a significant fraction of the biomass in the areas they inhabit.