Which freshwater fish is known as the elephantnose fish?

Gnathonemus petersii is the freshwater fish commonly called the elephantnose fish.

Its common name comes from the long, flexible extension beneath its head, which resembles an elephant’s trunk. The structure is not a nose: it is a sensitive electroreceptive organ used to locate food and detect objects in dark or muddy water.

The species is native to parts of the Congo River basin and other central African waters. It produces weak electrical signals and senses changes in the surrounding electric field, a system known as active electrolocation. This ability helps it navigate and communicate when visibility is poor.

Elephantnose fish are popular in aquariums but can be sensitive to water quality and bright lighting. Several related mormyrid fishes have similar snout-like projections, so the name should not be applied indiscriminately to every “elephant-nosed” fish.