Fun Facts About Mormyrid Fish

I recently acquired two beautiful gnathonemus petersii (elephant nose fish). They're a type of mormyrid fish. I've been obsessed with these guys since I was about 7 years old. I remember when Walmart sold fish, they occasionally had elephant nose fish. I was never able to get one as a child, but I have drawings I made of them in first grade. After years of research, I finally felt confident enough to get them! Pipsqueak and Noodle are now in a planted 55-gallon aquarium.

This is a temporary set-up because they will need more space as they grow. This species can reach 9-12 inches. That sounds like a lot, but the "baby dolphin" (mormyrus longirostris), another mormyrid sometimes seen in captivity, can grow over 2 feet!

 Here's one of the two, Pipsqueak!

Here are a few fun facts:

1. Mormyrid fish have a large brain-to-body ratio similar to humans and primates.

2. Due to their large brains, they require a lot of food and a high-oxygen environment. Without the right amount of oxygen, they can become hypoxic.

3. They use their electrical organs to perform electroporation. Their electrolocation is used to find food, communicate with one another, and navigate.

4. You can get specialized equipment that you hook up to your laptop which allows you to hear their electrolocation. It's wild! I have a video of Noodle's electrolocation from the person who sold him to me. Males and females have different "speech" patterns.

5. Mormyrids appear in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. The mormyrid plays a specific role in the myth of Osiris (won't say exactly what here as it isn't G-rated, lol).