Porotergus

Porotergus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Gymnotiformes
Family:	Apteronotidae
Subfamily:	Apteronotinae
Genus:	Porotergus ; M. M. Ellis in C. H. Eigenmann, 1912
Type species
	Porotergus gymnotus; M. M. Ellis, 1912

Last updated February 02, 2026

Porotergus is a genus of ghost knifefishes found in the Amazon and Essequibo basins in tropical South America. They are found over sandy bottoms in shallow (P. gymnotus) or deep rivers (two remaining).^[2] They feed on small aquatic insect larvae. They have a stubby snout and are fairly small knifefish, with the largest species reaching up to 27 cm (11 in) in total length.^[2]

Species

There are currently three described species in this genus:^[3]

Porotergus duende de Santana & Crampton, 2010
Porotergus gimbeli M. M. Ellis, 1912, named for Jacob Gimbel, who financed the expedition on which it was discovered. P. gimbeli is depicted on a brass plaque appearing on the base of a flagpole which Gimbel later donated to UCLA.^[4]
Porotergus gymnotus M. M. Ellis, 1912
Porotergus sambaibensis ^[5]

References

1 2 Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Apteronotidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 23 May 2025.
1 2 David de Santana, C.; W.G.R. Crampton (2010). "A Review of the South American Electric Fish Genus Porotergus (Gymnotiformes: Apteronotidae) with the Description of a New Species". Copeia. 2010 (1): 165–175. doi:10.1643/ci-05-136. S2CID 83780152.
↑ Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Porotergus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 25 May 2025.
↑ https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/17-places-you-won-t-see-on-the-official-ucla-campus-tour
↑ Mendonça, Marina B.; Peixoto, Luiz A. W.; Chamon, Carine C.; Akama, A.; de Santana, C. David (November 2025). "Molecular phylogeny reveals a new species of ghost electric knifefish Porotergus Ellis 1912 (Gymnotiformes: Apteronotidae), from the Amazon basin". Journal of Fish Biology. 107 (5): 1519–1531. doi:10.1111/jfb.70085. ISSN 0022-1112. PMC 12710834 . PMID 40660617.

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[Cof_family-1] 1 2 Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Apteronotidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 23 May 2025.

[Santana2010-2] 1 2 David de Santana, C.; W.G.R. Crampton (2010). "A Review of the South American Electric Fish Genus Porotergus (Gymnotiformes: Apteronotidae) with the Description of a New Species". Copeia. 2010 (1): 165–175. doi:10.1643/ci-05-136. S2CID 83780152.

[Cof_genus-3] Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Porotergus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 25 May 2025.

[4] ttps://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/17-places-you-won-t-see-on-the-official-ucla-campus-tour

[5] Mendonça, Marina B.; Peixoto, Luiz A. W.; Chamon, Carine C.; Akama, A.; de Santana, C. David (November 2025). "Molecular phylogeny reveals a new species of ghost electric knifefish Porotergus Ellis 1912 (Gymnotiformes: Apteronotidae), from the Amazon basin". Journal of Fish Biology. 107 (5): 1519–1531. doi:10.1111/jfb.70085. ISSN 0022-1112. PMC 12710834 . PMID 40660617.

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