Author: (Valenciennes, 1847)
FBname: Elephant Fish
Comments: Occupies floodplain pools in Sudd.  Feeds on mud, vegetable debris and small invertebrates (Ref. 28714).  Affinities:  only to <i>P. adspersus</i>, morphologically similar; distinguished through scales on caudal peduncle, dorsal and anal fin rays and body coloration.  Generates electric organ discharge (EOD) of short duration (0.08 ms) that seems to correlate with aggregative behavior of the species (Ref. 10460; 10601).  During the breeding season, males build nests and while patrolling their territory sporadically emit EODs at a mean rate of 18 Hz.  Participating females, on the other hand, discharge at a fairly regular rate (8-11 Hz) and this has been shown to play a role in sex recognition during courtship and spawning.  Male and female EOD waveforms also differ in the amplitude ratio of the first and third phase (Ref. 10764).  Also produce natural sounds ('grunts', 'moans', 'growl', etc.) at different phases of courtship, nesting and territorial defense (Ref. 10832).  A fractional spawner; females able to spawn up to 26 times in the course of one reproductive cycle, laying about 125 eggs per spawning episode.  Larval electric organ situated in the deep lateral musculature; that of adults in the caudal peduncle (Ref. 10605).