Black Ghost Knifefish

1 Black Ghost Knifefish Species Profile

The Black Ghost Knifefish, also known as the Ghost Knife or Feather Knife, gets its name from its unusual shape and entirely jet-black body. It hunts with extreme speed and swims nimbly, which is one of its distinguishing features.

Chinese name: Black Ghost Knifefish

Binomial: Apteronotus albifrons

Also known as: Black Ghost, Feather-fin Knifefish, Ghost Knife

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Vertebrata

Class: Osteichthyes

Order: Gymnotiformes

Family: Apteronotidae

Genus: Apteronotus

Distribution: Amazon River, South America

2 Black Ghost Knifefish Appearance

The ‘devil’ in its name expresses the mysterious nature of this fish; it is active at night, entirely jet-black, and very fast when hunting, hence the name Black Ghost.

This Black Ghost, native to Brazil and the Amazon basin in South America, is aggressive, nocturnal, entirely jet-black, and swims nimbly and gracefully, hunting with extreme speed. Its body is jet-black, with a pointed head; the caudal fin extends like a rod and has two white rings. It senses water flow, obstacles, and food through weak electric currents in its body—a very unusual shape. The body is laterally compressed; the back is smooth and arched; the pelvic and anal fins are connected, forming a wavy line to the tail, like a black lace outlining the fish’s curve.

3 Black Ghost Knifefish Feeding

The Black Ghost is robust and rarely gets infected or sick, but it is very sensitive to water quality, so aquarists must pay special attention to stability. Also, how to feed it scientifically is something many want to know.

The Black Ghost likes animal live food such as tubifex and bloodworms, but also readily accepts various prepared foods. Despite its fierce name, it is gentle and can be kept with most tropical fish. However, adults will eat small fish, so take care. Its eyes are degenerate and it can barely see, only sensing light and dark, but its body emits weak radar-like electric waves on which it relies to ‘see’ the surroundings.