Gnathonemus petersii is the scientific name for the Elephant Fish, which lives in warm waters of West Africa , from the Niger River basin to the Congo Basin, as well as the Benue, Zaire and Ogun rivers, and in Lake Chad. In its tail there is an electrical organ that emits low intensity discharges with a frequency of up to 80 times per second . Measuring the variations of the electric field that surrounds it through more than 5000 sensors distributed throughout its skin, the Elephant Fish can orient itself, detect objects (and food) in its environment, communicate with its fellow humans … It is even capable of swimming with ease in reverse .
In the United States, Germany and Israel have used Gnathonemus petersii to test the quality of drinking water, since the frequency of the electrical pulses it emits changes in the presence of certain polluting chemicals or poisons.
