Electric Catfish

Range: Africa
Habitat: Rivers, streams, lakes, swamps
Conservation Status: Not listed by IUCN
Scientific Name: Malapterurus electricus

Talk about unique! The electric catfish is the only species in a family all its own. And it produces its own electric currents in order to "see" where it's going and to electrocute its prey.

Electric catfish live in the stream, swamps and lakes of tropical Africa, where the water can be cloudy. So these fish must often rely on special senses to find their way. Water conducts electricity well, so this fish produces a continuous electric current in the water around it. It can detect any object that disturbs the current with special receptors located beneath its skin. In this way, the catfish can sense what's going on in murky water, where regular eyesight wouldn't be effective.

Not only do these catfish use electricity to navigate: they also use it to get dinner. A large three-foot catfish (weighing more than 50 pounds) can discharge as many as 350 volts! It uses this ability to stun or kill its prey, as well as to deter its enemies.

Like eels, sharks, and many birds, catfish can also detect magnetic fields. Scientists only speculate about how this is done; the mechanism remains poorly understood.