the western grebe ( aechmophorus occidentalis ) is a species in the grebe family of water birds .

folk names include " dabchick " , " swan grebe " and " swan-necked grebe " .

western grebe fossils from the late pleistocene of sw north america were described as a distinct species , but later ranked as a paleosubspecies aechmophorus occidentalis lucasi .

more recent study found them to fall within the variation now known to exist in today 's birds .

western grebe

atitlan grebe or giant grebe podilymbus gigas . endemic to lake atitlan , guatemala .
subspecies and range : the western grebe has two subspecies which differ only in size .
folk names for this bird include dabchick , swan grebe , and swan - necked grebe .
figure 1 . distribution of the western and clark ' s grebe , whose ranges overlap .
the western grebe is the largest north american member of the grebe family . other names for this species include “swan grebe” , “dabchick” and “swan - necked grebe” . this species has been known to interbreed with the clark’s grebe , which looks much like and shares the same habitat as the western grebe . nests are built on large inland lakes and coastal marshes of western north america . during winter months , northern populations will migrate to the western coastal ocean areas . typical diets of this bird consist of carp , herring , mollusks , crabs and salamanders . the conservation rating for the western grebe is least concern .
the western grebe was first described in 1858 by sir william lawrence , an english surgeon and biologist .
hill w . l . , m . browne , and c . hardenbergh . 1995 . composition of eared grebe western grebe eggs . jstor biological sciences collection
the western grebe is one of the two most piscivorous species with the great crested grebe . both have elongated body , slender neck and long thin bill .
the oldest recorded western grebe was a female and at least 11 years old when she was found in california .
davis , d . g . 1961 . western grebe colonies in northern colorado . condor 63 : 264 - 265 .
eichhorst ba ( 1994 ) an analysis of western grebe banding and recovery data . north american bird bander 17 : 108–115 .
western grebe aechmophorus occidentalis - a . o . occidentalis . british columubia to lake winnipeg and south to southern california . - a . o . clarkii . western usa and mexican plateau .
the western grebe lives on fresh water lakes and marshes which have large areas of open water and vegetation around it ( storer & nuechterlein 1992 ) .
western grebes are large and slender with long necks and long , thin bills . plumage is dark gray above and white below , with a clear color division . the top of the face is black , and the bottom white . the black extends below the eye in the western grebe . ( in the closely related and similar - appearing clark ' s grebe , the black ends above the eye . ) the bill of the western grebe is yellowish to dull olive .
red - necked grebe or holböll’s grebe podiceps grisegena . kornwerderzand , the netherlands culmen : 36 . 0 mm ; total : 84 . 5 mm , unsexed adult
the artwork shown to the left is from the 1925 grebe radio advertising brochure .
in north america , there are eight species of grebes in four genera ( including the extinct atitlan grebe ) . members of this family include the long and slender - necked western and clark’s grebes , and the plump pied - billed grebe .
in all seasons and habitats , the primary food of western grebes is fish .
eastern and western mexican subspecies differ slightly in plumage and might be reliably identifiable .
range / habitat : the western grebe is commonly found from canada through california , and sometimes in mexico . it usually occurs in the great plains and western states , but occasionally can be found in the eastern half of the united states . it usually stays on prairie lakes in british columbia and california , and sometimes as far down as mexico . in the winter the western grebe lives on the pacific coast .
erickson ma ( 2010 ) persistence and abundance of the western grebe ( aechmophorus occidentalis ) in alberta . msc . thesis , university of alberta , edmonton , alberta .
western grebes are highly gregarious at all seasons , nesting in colonies and wintering in flocks . their thin , reedy calls are characteristic sounds of western marshes in summer .
bill : the dagger - like bill is one of the best distinguishing characteristics of these similar birds . the clark ' s grebe has a bright yellow or bold orange - yellow bill , while the western grebe ' s bill is much darker and has a strong olive - green or gray tinge . because of its coloration , a western grebe ' s bill may appear narrower or slightly upturned , especially in dim light .
the grebe qsl card . the card design did change somewhat from time to time .
click the range map to learn more about the distribution of western grebes in washington .
a bird ( black mask ) swimming close to a pair of clark ' s grebe .
short - winged grebe rollandia micopterum . restricted to some lakes in peruvian and bolivian andes .
the western grebe feeds mainly on fish , but will also eat salamanders , crustaceans , plychaete worms , and insects . they tend to be opportunists ( storer and nuechterlein 1992 ) .
the western form of solitary sa - dpiper ( sandpiper ) is misspelled in the list .
t . r . ruficollis . europe , north - western africa , turkey and israel .
robbins , c . , b . bruun , h . zim . 1996 .
western grebe aechmophorus occidentalis
( on - line ) . accessed october 23 , 2000 at urltoken .
bent ac ( 1919 ) western grebe . in : bent ac , editor . life histories of north american diving birds . dover publications inc , new york , new york . 1–9 .
the western grebe is a large and conspicuous waterbird . adapted for an aquatic lifestyle , with lobed feet set well back on a streamlined body , western grebes are powerful swimmers but awkward on land . their white throat , breast and belly contrast with the black and grey plumage of their crown , neck , back and wings . they have bright red eyes and a long , pointed yellowish - green bill . the western grebe has been suggested as a bioindicator for wetland ecosystems .
delacour ' s little grebe or aloatra dabchick tachybaptus rufolavatus . endemic to lake aloatra , madagascar .
photo above : the grebe cr - 5 , a single tube receiver from 1922 . many accessories could be purchased from grebe to improve the performance of smaller receivers like the cr - 5 .
grebe advertising spared no expense to convey their message that grebe used the best parts in the best circuits with the highest quality construction and that naturally resulted in the best performing radio equipment available . the 1925 grebe radio brochure is a very high quality book that not only shows the various models of the synchrophase that were available in 1925 but also contains several photos of earlier grebe radios .
a large , elegant , black - and - white grebe , the western grebe breeds in lakes and ponds across the american west and winters primarily off the pacific coast . the very similar clark ' s grebe was long thought to be the same species . both species have a dramatic , choreographed courtship display , in which the birds rush across the water with their long necks extended .
the elegant western grebe is unlikely to be confused with any species other than its close relative , the clark ' s grebe . in general , western grebe has a paler greenish - yellow bill ( orange in clark ' s ) , and darker face , flanks , and neck sides . in breeding plumage , western ' s face is blacker than clark ' s , usually with blackish extending around the eyes to the base of the bill . bill color may be the single best character for separating the two during all seasons . the following is a link to this photographer ' s website : urltoken .
burger ae ( 1997 ) status of the western grebe in british columbia . wildlife working report no . wr–87 . british columbia ministry of environment , lands and parks , wildlife branch , victoria , bc .
the western subspecies is widespread in north america ; eastern ( asian ) has been recorded at least once in western alaska . it differs in size and breeding plumage , and is split by several authorities .
eastern and western forms are usually distinguishable by tail pattern , and more study might reveal other differences .
the western grebe is a large and conspicuous waterbird . adapted for an aquatic lifestyle , with lobed feet set well back on a streamlined body , western grebes are powerful swimmers but awkward on land . their white throat , breast and belly contrast with the black and grey plumage of their crown , neck , back and wings . they have bright red eyes and a long , pointed yellowish - green bill . the western grebe has been suggested as a bioindicator for wetland ecosystems . ( updated 2017 / 08 / 10 )
description : the western grebe is the largest of the north american grebes . sexes are similar in that they both have a long , slender neck and bill and their feet are far back of the body .
robison km , weems re , anderson dw , henkel la , brickey a ( 2008 ) western & clark’s grebe conservation and management in california . annual report to the american trader trustee council , february 2008 .
yanch j ( 2006 ) status of the western grebe ( aechmophorus occidentalis ) in alberta . wildlife status report no . 60 . alberta sustainable resource development & alberta conservation association . edmonton , alberta , canada .
is a carnivore . it mostly eats fish , but also eats insects , mollusks , and crustaceans . the western grebe is an aggressive hunter . it dives under the water and spears fish with its long bill .
storer rw , nuechterlein gl ( 1992 ) western grebe ( aechmophorus occidentalis ) . in : poole a , editor . the birds of north america online . ithaca , cornell lab of ornithology . available : urltoken .
with this upgrade , the grebe mu - 1 continued in production built to this configuration until mid - 1927 .
4 . radio age , don patterson - multi - part article on a . h grebe from the 1980s .
adult males of siberian subspecies ( recorded a few times in western alaska ) are safely distinguishable from american subspecies .
ebird and clements suggest the name woodhouse’s western scrub - jay for the interior groups based on the latin trinomial .
two western grebes engage in a courtship dance called
rushing ,
in which the birds walk on water .
shown to the left is the cover which has
grebe
and
radio
actually embossed in the heavy paper cover . the photo to the right is of grebe ' s experimental station 2xe which shows the cr - 6 and cr - 7 receivers along with a grebe - built 200 watt transmitter that is powered by batteries and the motor - generator set under the table . the horn speaker shown is a western electric 10 - d horn .
western grebes famously run on water , but few ornithologists have seen them using their aquatic feet to scamper across land .
subtle differences in song between eastern and western populations of this species are probably not reliable enough to allow confident identification .
because the western and clark ' s grebes were considered color phases of one species—the western grebe—from 1886 until 1985 , the literature on them was combined under that name . only rarely was mention made of the “phase” of the birds studied . because of this , and because of the great similarity between the two species in morphology and behavior , this account contains references that may pertain to both species . first , under western grebe , is given the information known to apply to that species alone , followed by information common to both species , and that for which the “phase” was not mentioned . the clark ' s grebe account consists of information known to apply to that species and to known differences between the two .
face : both species have a white face with a prominent black cap , but on clark ' s grebes the red eye is surrounded by white while on western grebes the red eye is surrounded by black or dark gray . this can make it seem as though the western grebe has larger eyes , while the white plumage makes the eyes of clark ' s grebes seem more colorful . in winter , however , the gray on western grebes can become much lighter , so careful observation is necessary .
the western grebe is a conspicuous water bird of western north america , from southern canada to the mexican plateau . they are perhaps best known for their elaborate and energetic courtship rituals , now well - studied . these courtship ceremonies - - in which these birds perform a series of displays in ritualized , apparently mechanical , sequences - - are among the most complex known in birds .
great crested grebe podiceps cristatus . the netherlands culmen : 48 . 1 mm ; total : 98 . 5 mm , adult male
horned grebe podiceps auritus kornwerderzand . the netherlands culmen : 22 . 0 mm ; total : 61 . 0 mm , unsexed adult
grebe actually supplied a printed post card qsl that was ready to fill out and send off to received broadcast stations . hopefully , the card would impress the station to the point that they would reciprocate . grebe also used the card for advertising purposes , showing a synchrophase and
doctor mu
on one side and wahg and wboq grebe ' s bc stations on the other side .
diet : as a carnivore , it mostly eats fish , but also gleans the water ' s surface for insects , mollusks , and crustaceans . the western grebe is an aggressive hunter . it dives under the water and spears fish with its long bill .
western ( left ) and clark ' s ( right ) grebes can be hard to tell apart . photo © mike baird ;
by understanding the differences between the two species , however , birders can learn to recognize both clark ' s and western grebes .
some western birds have obvious white crests in breeding plumage and may be identifiable , but many have black crests like eastern birds .
the head , neck , and body are a blackish brown color from above , and white from below . the western grebe has a dull yellow or olive - colored bill and red eyes surrounded by dark coloration . in flight a white wing stripe is exposed .
black - necked grebe podiceps nigricollis . location unknown culmen : 22 . 7 mm ; total : 59 . 3 mm , unsexed adult
it is a migratory bird found on temperate coastal , freshwater lakes . during the breeding season it lives on large lakes with dense areas of emergent vegetation or thick mats of floating aquatic plants . in migration , the western grebe is found on large , deep lakes .
eastern and western subspecies differ only on average in overall plumage color , and are too variable to allow identification outside their normal range .
western mexican and eastern mexican populations differ only in average size ( especially bill size ) and are not safely identified in the field .
the grebes or podicipedidae ( pronounced po - dih - seh - pih - peh - dih - dee ) include twenty - one species in six genera found on all continents except antarctica including two extinct species , the aloatra grebe of madagascar and the atitlan grebe of guatemala .
grebe produced a series of ham receivers designated with a
cr
prefix followed by a number to identify the model . the cr receivers were very popular with the hams and , if a commercially built receiver is seen in a vintage photograph of an old ham station , it will more than likely be a grebe
cr
receiver . the amateur business was large enough that , by 1920 , grebe had a fairly large building for radio manufacturing . the a . h . grebe & co . , inc . was incorporated in january , 1920 .
the western grebe is 55 to 77 cm long and 800 to 1800 grams . it is black and white with a narrow body , long neck , and long , pointed yellowish green bill . the bright red eyes of the western grebe are surrounded by black . the female is smaller and the bill on the female is much thinner and shorter ( storer and nuechterlein 1992 ) . for a comprehensive review of the conservation status , habitat use , and ecology of this and other montana bird species , please see marks et al . 2016 , birds of montana .
western grebes are highly gregarious in all seasons , wintering in large flocks and nesting in colonies . the neck structure of western grebes allows them to thrust their beaks forward , like spears , a motion they use to catch prey . as a family , grebes are known for their elaborate courtship displays . western grebes and the closely related clark ' s grebes perform the most spectacular displays of the family . the displays of western and clark ' s grebes are almost identical ; the only apparent difference is that one of many calls differs in the number of notes .
eastern and western populations differ substantially and consistently in song and singing behavior , and differ slightly in plumage and have been proposed for species status . in addition , pacific birds differ at least in overall color from other western birds , and a distinctively gray subspecies occurs in coastal southeast us .
subspecies townsendi of western alaska averages larger and whiter than widespread nivalis , but differences are probably not sufficient to allow identification , and intergrades occur .
storer , r . w . and g . l . nuechterlein . 1992 . western grebe ( aechmophorus occidentalis ) and clarke ' s grebe ( a . clarkii ) . in : a . poole , p . stettenheim , and f . gill , ( eds . ) , the birds of north america , no . 26 . philadelphia : the academy of natural sciences ; washington d . c . : the american ornithologists union 24 pp .
if you think dating is hard , be glad you ' re not a grebe . these north american waterbirds have high standards when it comes to attracting and keeping a mate : if either a male or female grebe can ' t
walk
on water , they ' re out of luck .
2 . change to ux - 112 audio output tube . part of changes 3 and 4 . shown on grebe schematic dated 8 - 16 - 26
5 . radio manufacturers of the 1920s , vol . 2 , alan douglas - history on a . h . grebe & co . , inc .
laporte , nicholas , robert w . storer and gary l . nuechterlein . 2013 . western grebe ( aechmophorus occidentalis ) , version 2 . 0 . in the birds of north america ( p . g . rodewald , editor ) . cornell lab of ornithology , ithaca , new york , usa .
the western grebe is migratory and winters down pacific coast . they start to move in september towards saltwater locations . they migrate by night over land , and partially by day along the coast where they often swim . the mexican populations appear fairly sedentary , with only local movements according to the season .
two subspecies are probably reliably identified by bill and leg color in breeding plumage but not at other times . asian a rare visitor to western alaska .
siberian form recorded once in western aleutians . more study is needed on visual id criteria , but dna barcode study shows substantial difference from north american .
clowater js ( 1998 ) distribution and foraging behavior of wintering western grebes . m . sc . thesis , simon fraser university , burnaby , bc .
aechmophorus grebes breed in colonies at the vegetated edge of larger lakes and freshwater marshes . kushlan et al . [ 28 ] estimated the north american population size of western grebes at more than 110 , 000 breeders , and clark’s grebes at 10 , 000–20 , 000 . the breeding range of western grebes includes most of southwest canada and the western united states , while clark’s grebes are more restricted to the southwestern states [ 27 ] . after breeding , western grebes migrate primarily to the pacific coast and overwinter from southern alaska to mexico with lower numbers reported at inland sites from southern british columbia to west texas . wintering clark’s grebes are restricted to the southern portion of the western grebe winter range and are rare north of about 42° latitude ( this study ) . both species specialize on fish prey ( > 81 % of diet ) but are opportunistic and utilize other prey depending on availability [ 27 ] .
protection / threats / status : the western grebe is threatened by oil spills and insecticides accumulated in their food , involving reduced breeding success . another threat is the reduction of the habitat , with increasing human developments . however , populations are currently large and stable , and this species is not globally threatened .
range : both birds share the same range and habitats in western north america , but clark ' s grebes are much rarer and have a smaller range spread , particularly to the north and east . western grebes are more common and can be found further north and east more regularly , especially in summer .
the largest grebe . only one species , although there is some discussion about the status of the two subspecies . they may appear to be true species .
2 . grebe radio 1925 advertising brochure - covers early versions of the mu - 1 and mu - 2 . multi - color and high - quality photos and artwork . this brochure states that the escutcheons are
dull 24k gold covered .
information on wahg and many earlier grebe cr - series models .
western grebes and their former conspecifics , clark ' s grebe , are unique among grebes in possessing a mechanism in the neck that permits them to thrust forward the head like a spear . such a mechanism is well known in herons and anhingas , but its details remain to be worked out in these grebes .
kraft , s . k . 1983 . western grebe ( aechmophorus occidentalis ) . pp . 1 - 12 in j . a . armbruster , ed . , impacts of coal surface mining on 25 migratory bird species of high federal interest . usdi fish and wildlife service fws / obs - 83 / 85 .
eastern and western populations are quite different in female plumage , and several flight call variations are also known . more study is needed to sort out differences .
without a doubt , the most often seen grebe radio produced is the synchrophase mu - 1 . after all , over 150 , 000 of them were built between mid - 1924 and mid - 1927 . it is a good example to represent grebe , a company that could stay competitive throughout the twenties when radios were being produced and sold in incredible quantities by hundreds and hundreds of manufacturers . great performance and great looks , . . . that ' s the grebe synchrophase .
eurasian subspecies known as goosander ( rare but regular in western alaska ) is safely distinguishable from american subspecies by wing pattern and probably by bill and head shape .
two subspecies groups ( western and texas ) differ slightly in overall color , tail pattern , and size , but more study is needed to clarify potential differences .
neuchterlein gl ( 1975 ) nesting ecology of western grebes on the delta marsh , manitoba . msc . thesis . colorado state university , fort collins , colorado .
- in 1927 , the mu - 1 was rapidly becoming obsolete . many
high quality
neutrodynes were on the market that performed as well as , if not better than , the grebe mu - 1 . grebe did introduce a single dial version but it wasn ' t produced in any quantity . by late 1927 , ac power operation was the latest offering from the manufacturers . grebe responded with the synchrophase ac - six , a thoroughly different looking radio receiver than the old mu - 1 . for those in areas without ac power , grebe offered the similar - looking synchrophase seven battery operated receiver . later , for a nominal sum of $ 55 , the factory would convert a seven to ac operation . in the end , screen - grid tubes sets and eventually a few superheterodynes were produced before grebe went bankrupt , a victim of the great depression . grebe had every intention of reforming the company but he died , at age 40 , from complications following surgery .
plumage : while clark ' s and western grebes are almost identical in plumage , clark ' s grebes are lighter overall when seen in good light , and their flanks are particularly lighter and may show as light gray or whitish . western grebes are darker overall and can appear dark gray or black , with much darker flanks .
except for the least grebe of southern texas and tropical wetlands further south , all grebes migrate to bays , large lakes , and other coastal habitats in north america .
reproduction of this species : the laying occurs between may and july in usa and between may and october in mexico . the western grebe breeds sometimes in large colonies of hundreds or thousands of nests , and sometimes mixed with clark grebe ( aechmophorus clarkii ) . but it may occasionally breed solitary too . both sexes build a floating nest , a fairly solid mound of plant matter , floating or resting on the bottom . the nest is usually anchored to the emergent vegetation in shallow water in marshes .
hand , r . l . 1969 . a distributional checklist of the birds of western montana . unpublished . available at mansfield library , university of montana , missoula .
two subspecies groups differ in plumage and dna . all or nearly all are readily identifiable . eurasian group a rare visitor to western alaska and very rarely farther south .
humple d ( 2009 ) genetic structure and demographic impacts of oil spills in western and clark’s grebes . m . sc . thesis , sonoma state university , california .
western grebe : breeds from british columbia , saskatchewan , and manitoba south to california and southwestern texas . winters along the pacific coast from southeastern alaska to california , on the gulf coast of louisiana and texas . casual to eastern u . s . preferred habitats include large lakes with reeds or rushes , shallow coastal bays , and estuaries .
populations of western grebe may be declining . the north american waterbird conservation plan estimates more than 110 , 000 breeding birds in north america , rates the species a 12 out of 20 on the continental concern score , and lists it as a species of moderate concern . western grebe is not on the 2014 state of the birds watch list . around 1900 , western grebes were extensively hunted for their silky white breast and belly feathers , which were used in clothing and hats . this aquatic species is also sensitive to pesticides , to other causes of poor water quality , and entanglement in fishing line . western grebes nest in colonies and can be flushed by boaters that approach too closely , leaving their nests vulnerable to gulls and other predators . on their coastal wintering grounds they are vulnerable to oil spills and are caught in gill nets . according to natureserve , their status is of particular concern near the edges of their range , in kansas , oklahoma , wisconsin , and british columbia , canada . back to top
11 . it ' s likely that the mu - 2 was not produced after mid - 1926 since it isn ' t mentioned in the grebe synchrophase manual copyrighted 1926 .
eastern and western ( and perhaps pacific ) forms differ slightly in plumage and possibly voice . these are probably not safely identified in the field but more study is warranted .
a range - wide analysis of western grebe abundance is complicated by the relatively recent systematic designation of this species from its congener , the clark’s grebe ( aechmophorus clarkii , [ 27 ] ) . the two species were considered to be color phases of a single species prior to 1985 and thus both recorded as western grebes on counts . most grebes are identified to species on counts conducted after 1985 but because they are similar in appearance , positive identification is not always possible in large groups or at great distance . as a result , 13 . 9 % of surveys after 1985 report ‘ aechmophorus spp’ as a component of the total number of grebes recorded . in this case , we used the ratio of all western and clark’s grebes identified on that count to estimate the fraction of aechmophorus count attributed to each species . clark’s grebes are rare compared to western grebes and only regularly detected in the southern portion of the aechmophorus winter range . thereore , our main analysis estimated trends for aechmophorus spp . over the entire range under the assumption that large trends would necessarily be dominated by changes in the number of western grebes . we also conducted separate analyses for clark’s grebes after 1985 to test for a potential influence on overall trends .
the nest is most often built on floating vegetation hidden among emergent plants ; western grebes occasionally nest in the open and rarely on land . both sexes build the nest using material brought from underwater , found floating on the surface , or growing near the nest . western grebes often nest in colonies , with hundreds or even thousands on one lake .
storer , r . w . , and g . l . nuechterlein . 1992 . western grebe ( aechmophorus occidentalis ) . species account number 026a . the birds of north america online ( a . poole , ed . ) . ithaca , ny : cornell laboratory of ornithology ; retrieved 3 / 25 / 2008 from the birds of north america online database
like many grebes , the western grebe flies little and is more often seen in its aquatic environment than in the air . however , this species is able to migrate and to fly . it needs to run along the water surface while beating quickly its wings in order to take off . it has to keep beating the wings quickly during the flight too . it can fly fast and over long distances during the migrations , performing direct flight and rapid wingbeats . the western grebes often form major concentrations during migrations and in winter .
grebe marketed some of their cr receivers as broadcast receivers since they did tune around where the bc stations were transmitting . the cr - 9 was the most popular early grebe cr receiver since it included a two - stage audio amplifier section in addition to the regenerative detector . additionally , grebe later offered the cr - 12 and the cr - 14 as broadcast receivers but they still retained the round black dials and the same circuit of the earlier cr receivers , that is , regenerative detectors with a couple of stages of audio amplification .
the western grebe adult has dark grey to blackish upperparts . sides and flanks are paler grey . the underparts are white . the tail is very short . secondaries and bases of primaries are pale grey to white , often conspicuous in flight . the black cap ( through eye - level ) and hindneck contrast strongly with the white face , neck sides and foreneck .
the western grebe , like other grebes , spends almost all its time in water and is very awkward when on land . the legs are so far back on the body that walking is very difficult . western grebes are adept swimmers and divers . courtship happens entirely in the water , including a well - known display known as “rushing , ” where two birds turn to one side , lunge forward in synchrony , their bodies completely out of the water , and race across the water side by side with their necks curved gracefully forward . back to top
or black and white patterns on the head . bill color also becomes bright orange or yellow in a few species while the pied - billed grebe’s bill acquires a dark , vertical line .
western technology and engineering , inc . ( westech ) . , 2001 , wildlife monitoring absaloka mine area annual report , 2000 . montana smp 85005 . osmp montana 0007e . february 2001 .
two groups – eastern ( brown - backed ) and western ( gray - backed ) – can be distinguished by average plumage color , but the reliability of differences needs to be determined .
the western grebe breeds in british columbia , alberta , saskatchewan , manitoba , and throughout the western united states . it is a colonial breeder , with an uneven and clustered breeding distribution . it winters mainly in coastal areas from southern alaska to mexico , and on inland lakes , particularly in the southern portion of its range . large numbers formerly occurred in the salish sea ( strait of georgia , juan de fuca strait , and puget sound ) , but in recent years the wintering distribution has apparently shifted southward to california . ( updated 2017 / 08 / 10 )
habitat : during the breeding season , the western grebe frequents freshwater lakes , brackish marshes , reservoir and ponds , and usually areas with large stretches of open water with surrounding reedy vegetation . in winter , it is often found in brackish and salt waters , including at sea along the coasts . it is visible in coastal bays and estuaries , and sometimes on inland freshwater sites .
but the grebe ' s technique could have some interesting applications in the robotics world—a robot that runs on water could be used for search and rescue operations in flooded or marsh - like environments .
coastal and interior circles are those < 50 km or ≥50 km from the coast , respectively ( see methods ) . mean count per circle is averaged across all 36 years and does not account for trend . proportion wegr refers to the percentage of all observations to species that were identified as western grebes ( aechmophorus occidentalis ) since the split of western and clark’s grebes in 1985 .
the western grebe is the most gregarious species of north american grebe ; wintering flocks of over 10 , 000 individuals have been observed and nesting colonies can contain thousands of pairs . it engages in complex courtship rituals and is seasonally monogamous . pairs build a nest together , which they defend aggressively , and they alternate incubation duties . the downy young leave the nest immediately after hatching and are then brooded on their parents’ backs . western grebes are mainly piscivorous and both parents feed the young , until they are independent at about 8 - 10 weeks of age . they usually produce one clutch per year . typical clutches contain 1 - 4 eggs and annual productivity ranges from 0 . 39 to 0 . 88 young per breeding adult . ( updated 2017 / 08 / 10 )
differences in song , plumage , and possibly tail movements ( as well as dna ) between eastern and western populations may be sufficient for field identification , but this has not yet been confirmed .
birders visiting open , marshy lakes and bays in the western united states can easily be stumped by clark ' s grebes and western grebes . once considered the same species , these two distinct birds are nearly identical and the unique characteristics each has are subtle . since the species are also relatively uncommon in many areas , chances for extended observation are minimal , making identifying these grebes particularly challenging .
voice : both clark ' s and western grebes are often found in large colonies where calls and sounds can be overwhelming . clark ' s grebes have a single syllable
kreeek
call , while western grebes have a distinct two syllable
kree - eeek
call . though both calls are similar , the number of syllables can be an important clue for a bird ' s identity .
did you know ? the mating display of the western grebe is among the most complicated of all . during the ' weed dance , ' the male and female both raise their chest gently out of the water and then rub each other with water plants in their long bills . then comes the ' rushing ' phase when the birds look at each other before exploding into a sprint across the water ' s surface . each grebe stands high , with its wings held back and its cobra - like head and neck rigid . the race ends with the pair diving head first into the water .
the synchrophase was born out of broadcast boom but was really not marketed during that period which ended around the beginning of 1924 . by mid - 1924 , radio buyers wanted great performance and easy operation . grebe had some top engineers that designed a receiver that was made up of innovative components rather than a special circuit . grebe components were built at the factory . they had their own bakelite molding facilities , their own screw machines , plating facilities , everything required to build first - class equipment . the new synchrophase ' s mechanical superiority was due to the experienced manufacturing ability of the grebe company .
unless otherwise noted , serial letters are for mu - 1 receivers . also noted are any further component variations that would further
narrow down
the time period of manufacture . please be sure to examine your mu - 1 or mu - 2 carefully because grebe factory / dealer upgrades are difficult to tell from original . see section above on
grebe factory / dealer installed upgrades and modifications .
characteristic for the two species of this genus are the stubby white bills with a black vertical band during the breeding season . the atitlan grebe is much bigger than de pied - billed and practically flightless .
is commonly found from canada through california , and sometimes in mexico . it usually occurs in the great plains and western states , but occasionally can be found in the eastern half of the united states .
lindvall , m . l . and j . b . low . 1982 . nesting ecology and production of western grebes at bear river migratory bird refuge , utah . condor 84 : 66 - 70 .
eastern and western populations differ in intensity of male plumage , but intergrade broadly and , given the variation shown in carotenoid pigments in plumage of birds , are probably not safely identified by this feature alone .
51–74 cm ; 550–1800 g . large , long - billed , long - necked , white and black to dark grey - brown grebe lacking obvious crest on head . nominate race in breeding plumage . . .
to speculate on a reason for the obfuscation : it might indicate that grebe was trying to protect themselves from a neutrodyne lawsuit settlement that would be based on total production quantities . it seems possible that the grebe management came up with an undecipherable code that allowed them to identify each mu - 1 and mu - 2 receiver while preventing anyone else from discerning any useable information from just the serial letters . if you had the code book , like the grebe factory must have , you could identify any mu - 1 or mu - 2 but , without the code book , nothing specific could be determined about anything involving production quantities .
2 . two position band switch that extends the tuning range of the receiver up to 2000kc ( though most mu - 1 receivers will only tune to about 1900kc . ) - advertised september , 1925 . it ' s unlikely that any grebe mu - 1 receivers were built with the ball chain drive but without the band switch . the band switch is shown in the grebe mu - 1 schematic dated august 29 , 1925
waage , bruce c . , 1996 , western energy company rosebud mine , colstrip , montana : 1995 annual wildlife monitoring report ; december 1 , 1994 - november 30 , 1995 . february 28 , 1996 .
two subspecies ( eastern and western ) differ substantially in dna , but apparently very little in plumage and no differences are known in voice or behavior . criteria for identification in the field remain to be discovered .
eastern and western subspecies differ only on average in overall plumage color . some extremes might be identifiable but color is so variable with age and sex that most probably cannot be identified to subspecies outside their normal range .
) , with western and clark’s grebes representing 98 % and 2 % of observations , respectively . the percentage of birds identified as western grebes varied by region but was very close to 100 % in the portion of the winter range situated north of 42 degrees latitude , varied from 95–97 % in coastal california , 92 % in interior california and nevada , and 47 % in new mexico , arizona , texas and interior mexico (
each circle refers to an audubon christmas bird count used in the analysis and the size of the circle is scaled to the effort adjusted abundance of grebes on the count in that year . combined data on western ( aechmophorus occidentalis ) and clark’s grebes ( a . clarkii ) were used in the figure but over 90 % of observations are for western grebes in all regions except the southwestern states ( see text for further detail ) .
the differences between clark ' s grebes and western grebes are subtle , but distinct . birders who learn to tell the difference between the two species can appreciate their subtleties and enjoy finding both of them in similar habitats .
together , the male and female western grebe build a floating nest made of heaps of plant material anchored to emergent vegetation in a shallow area of a marsh . the female lays three to four eggs , and both parents incubate . once hatched , the young leave the nest almost immediately and ride on the backs of the parents . both parents feed the young . young are plain gray and white , not striped like the young of other grebes .
additionally , some early grebe receivers will have a gold colored label in the shape of the tuning dial escutcheons glued to one of the inside walls of the synchrophase . these labels advertised wahg and the fact that the grebe qsl cards were included with the purchase of the synchrophase . the installation of these advertising labels at assembly must have only lasted a short time as they are not found very often and are usually on late 1924 versions of the synchrophase .
however , looking at the photograph shown to the right , which is the grebe factory test and alignment department , it ' s apparent that grebe wasn ' t trying to hide the fact that the synchrophase was a tremendous seller . over one hundred synchrophase chassis are shown in this photo . each cart appears capable of holding at least twenty - five chassis and there are four carts in the area . maybe advertising hype wasn ' t considered admissible evidence .
records in virginia and western alaska have been suspected of being the african and asian subspecies , respectively , which may be elevated to species status , but identification has not been confirmed and id criteria need to be worked out .
the booklet is printed in multiple colors and the artwork for the various synchrophase models are shown in brown and gold tones . typical of grebe operator ' s manuals , whenever an escutcheon is pictured , it is shown in gold .
grebe sightings in north america from 1975 to 2010 . analyses using a longer data set from 1970 produced identical results to those we report here but because of the increased cbc survey coverage after 1975 we focus on that time period .
behavior : the courtship display of the western grebe is among the most elaborate breeding rituals of north american wildlife . during the ' weed dance , ' the male and female both raise their torsos gently out of the water , caressing each other with aquatic vegetation held in their long , rapier - like bills . the pair ' s bond is fully reinforced by the ' rushing ' phase , during which the birds glance at one another before exploding into a sprint across the water ' s surface . each grebe stands high , with its wings held back and its cobra - like head and neck rigid , until the race ends with the pair breaking the water ' s surface in a headfirst dive .
two subspecies ( kamchatka a rare visitor to western alaska ) differ in plumage and many / most are probably reliably separated in adult male plumage , but intergradation and variation need to be assessed . some authorities split these into two species .
citation : wilson s , anderson em , wilson asg , bertram df , arcese p ( 2013 ) citizen science reveals an extensive shift in the winter distribution of migratory western grebes . plos one 8 ( 6 ) : e65408 . urltoken
during the breeding season , the western grebe performs amazing series of ritual displays , often more elaborate than in other species . this behaviour happens entirely in the water . after several advertising calls , typical displays such as “head - shaking ceremony” occur . this one is an introduction to others , more elaborate . both birds are floating with the neck erect and facing each other . they shake their heads , quickly up and down and slowly side to side . they are silent .
5 . tone color control is changed to capacitance - only , stepped - switch adjustment and it now shunts the audio output tube grid to - c . position 6 is open for
flat
response . grebe schematic 8 - 16 - 26
several subspecies groups are identifiable by plumage , size and flight call , but more study is needed to sort out variation and assess intermediate populations . kamchatka subspecies recorded several times in western alaska differs substantially from north american populations in dna barcode test .
each grebe ' s step started with a splayed foot slapping the water , generating between 30 to 55 percent of the vertical force needed to keep the animals from sinking . the rest came from the bird actually pushing its foot underwater , clifton explains .
behaviour in the wild : the western grebe feeds mainly on both freshwater and marine fish , and it may take sometimes fairly large fish of up to 20 centimetres long . aquatic insects , molluscs , crustaceans , marine worms and some amphibians are also included in its diet . it fishes mainly by diving during about 30 seconds . rapid bursts of diving are interspersed with long periods at surface where the bird probably feeds on fish’s schools . it uses its strong bill as a rapid spear thrust for hunting .
western grebes breed on freshwater lakes and marshes with extensive open water bordered by emergent vegetation . during winter they move to saltwater or brackish bays , estuaries , or sheltered sea coasts and are less frequently found on freshwater lakes or rivers . back to top
wollis s , stratmoen c ( 2010 ) population study of western grebes in alberta 2001–2009 : implications for management and status designation . alberta sustainable resource development , fish and wildlife division , alberta species at risk report no . 138 . edmonton , ab .
introduction : this large grebe is well known for its spectacular courtship displays , and especially the amazing “rushing - ceremony” during which the birds rush wildly across the water , side by side , with their bodies out of water and their necks gracefully curved forwards .
oh , what fun and fabulous pictures ! western grebes don’t show up in my eastern n . a . field guides , so i’ll have to assume that’s mom – either way , ( s ) he seems unconcerned with the racket going on behind her !
llimona , f . , del hoyo , j . , christie , d . a . , jutglar , f . & kirwan , g . m . ( 2018 ) . western grebe ( aechmophorus occidentalis ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
since the synchrophase was an impressive performing receiver and the styling was quite popular it seems natural that owners wanted to keep their mu - 1 up - to - date for at least a while . radio was so rapidly evolving in the twenties many radios were sold ( especially in 1926 ) that became obsolete in just one year . though the synchrophase wasn ' t quite in that rapidly obsolete category , there were some upgrades that probably were offered by the grebe factory and by some grebe dealers to customers who had purchased an earlier model .
although most species are solitary during breeding , clark’s and western grebes nest in large colonies . they are highly vocal at this time but become much quieter during the winter . at all times of the year grebes feed on fish by catching them underwater on frequent dives .
three subspecies are usually identifiable by differences in overall color , although intergrades do occur and no differences in structure or voice are known . in addition , siberian birds differ significantly in dna , slightly in plumage . these have been reported in western alaska but not confirmed .
two subspecies groups differ in non - adult - male plumages , and may differ in voice . more study is needed to determine how reliably these can be distinguished in the field , and whether southwestern desert birds belong with other western populations or as a separate group .


peters ' elephant-nose fish ( gnathonemus petersii ; syn . gnathonemus brevicaudatus pellegrin , 1919 , mormyrus petersii günther , 1862 ) is an african freshwater elephantfish in the genus gnathonemus .

other names in english include elephantnose fish , long-nosed elephant fish , and ubangi mormyrid , after the ubangi river .

as the latin name petersii confirms it is named after someone called " peters " ( probably wilhelm peters ) , although the apostrophe is often misplaced and the common name given as " peter 's elephantnose fish " .

it uses electrolocation to find prey , and has the largest brain-to-body oxygen use ratio of all known vertebrates ( around 0.6 ) .

peters ' elephantnose fish

to find a peters’ elephantnose fish , you must lurk in muddy , slow - moving water . look closely , because the fish is brown and so is the background .
the retina of the peters’ elephantnose fish looks completely different . it is covered with cup - shaped depressions . around 30 cones sit inside each cup , and a few hundred rods are buried underneath .
peters’ elephantnose fish has no such limitations . its peculiar eyes allow it to use the two types of receptor at the same time . that could help it to spot predators as they approach through the murky water it calls home .
black or dark brown in colour with attractive white stripes across the tail , elephantnose fish are smooth - skinned . like many scaleless fish they can be
if your elephantnose fish slides its proboscis across your other fish from time to time , don ' t worry - it isn ' t trying to eat them .
however , the peters’ elephantnose fish were very good at spotting large moving objects against a cluttered background – essential for fish that live in dirty water . presented with a monitor displaying a black stimulus on a white background , they took as long to spot it as goldfish . but when a grey noise pattern – like an untuned tv – was superimposed , the elephantnose fish spotted the stimulus faster than the goldfish .
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the elephantnose fish , or peter ' s elephant , are very unique fish that not many hobbyists can say they have . elephantnose fish are thin and oblong , primarily dark brown or gray with white markings and a long trunk - like nose , thus the name , elephantnose . elephantnose fish are shy , sensitive fish , who need pristine water conditions to thrive . they are , in fact , so delicate , that they are used at government water departments in the usa and germany to test the quality of the water . whether this is humane or not is debatable ; the point is that an elephantnose needs to be added to a fully cycled , mature tank .
peters rc , denizot jp . miscellaneous features of electroreceptors in gnathonemus petersii ( günther , 1862 ) ( pisces , teleostei , mormyriformes )
what the bonn team found was that the elephantnose can switch between these two senses despite having a tiny brain .
peters’ elephantnose fish belongs to a large family called the elephantfish , all of which live in africa . they get their name from the trunk - like protrusions on the front of their heads . but whereas the trunks of elephants are extensions of their noses , the trunks of elephantfish are extensions of their mouths .
, peters ' elephantnose fish are second to none . their fascinating appearance , with the lower lip extended like a long snout , is accompanied by a high degree of intelligence and intriguing behaviour . although they can be shy , patience and care will encourage them to be friendly , active participants in the aquarium community .
according to bonn , statistical analyses showed identical performance as they swapped between vision and electrical impulses . also , they did it with a consistency that indicates that all elephantnose fish share this talent .
peters ' elephantnose fish ( gnathonemus petersii ) is common to the slower rivers of west africa , where it hunts for insect larvae just before dawn and after sunset . it ' s also one of a number of fish equipped with an electrical organ that allows it to generate a weak electrical field that allows it to sense its immediate environment like a living motion detector . it also has eyes that it uses to navigate as well as to track and catch its supper .
as to why the elephantnose can do this , the bonn team hasn ' t speculated , but it could be that the fish uses a specialized algorithm or processing system , the job of sense - swapping is less complex than believed , or fish are just really clever .
peters’ elephantnose fish are native to the rivers of west and central africa , in particular the lower niger river basin , the ogun river basin and in the upper chari river . it prefers muddy , slowly moving rivers and pools with cover such as submerged branches . it is a dark brown to black in colour , laterally compressed ( averaging 23–25 cm ) , with a rear dorsal fin and anal fin of the same length . its caudal or tail fin is forked . it has two stripes on its lower pendicular . its most striking feature , as its names suggest , is a trunk - like protrusion on the head . this is not actually a nose , but a sensitive extension of the mouth , that it uses for self - defense , communication , navigation , and finding worms and insects to eat . this organ is covered in electroreceptors , as is much of the rest of its body . the elephantnose fish has poor eyesight and uses a weak electric field , which it generates by muscular contractions , to find food , to navigate in dark or turbid waters , and to find a mate . peters’ elephantnose fish live to about 6 - 10 years , but there are reports of them living even longer .
peters’ elephantnose fish is probably the most commonly - available mormyrid in aquarium stores in the usa . in the aquarium ( which should be at least 200 liters ) it is timid , preferring a heavily planted environment with subdued lighting . ideally , a pipe or hollow log should be provided . the substrate should ideally be soft sand to allow the fish to sift through it with its delicate extended lip . it feeds on small worms ( bloodworms ) and aquatic invertebrates such as mosquito larvae , but in the aquarium will usually accept frozen or even flake food . how peaceful an elephantnose fish is can depend on the individual ; some are quite aggressive with other species , while others are retiring . they may be kept in a community aquarium with peaceful species who share their water preferences . however , unless kept in an aquarium of over 400 liters , it is unwise to keep more than one elephantnose fish as they can be territorial . the conditions suggested to keep them in an aquarium are as follows : ph of 6 . 8 to 7 . 2 , water temperature 26 to 28 degrees celsius , and water of medium hardness . the substrate should always be something that does not irritate the sensitive snout of the fish .
the weak electrical impulses generated by this fish can be made audible by placing two electrodes in the fish tank , which are then hooked up to an audio amplifier or a piezoelectric earbud . the sonar - like clicks that this fish emits can sound like a squeaky door when the fish is excited . – wikipedia
hello , i have an elephant nose fish just the one , they are fine in groups when young but as soon as they reach sexual maturity they will not tolerate there own species . in my experience these fish are great community fish best kept with medium to large species like the south - american cihlids , clown loaches , botia , larger tetra ' s and angel fish . however these fish are slow growing and nocturnal but these fish are very elegant and a very intelligent fish species . the elephant nose fish has an electric force - field depending on their mood so these fish can ' t be kept with any other fish with an electric force - field like the black ghost knife fish . elephant nose fish are not for the beginners of fish keeping , they are somewhat sensitive to water conditions and will be very unhappy and lethargic in anything above ph7 . i keep my elephant nose fish in ph 6 . 8 which is spot on in the middle as the ph for these fella ' s ranges form 6 . 5 - 7 . i have been keeping fish for nearly 14 years now , every year has been a joy . i love keeping these lovely elegant fella ' s and have don ' t for many years now , so good luck with your elephant nose ' s , hope all is good .
- medium / difficult . this fish needs perfect water and is somewhat intolerant to medication .
hopkins cd , bass ah . temporal coding of species recognition signals in an electric fish .
ciali s , gordon j , moller p . spectral sensitivity of the weakly discharging electric fish
maler l . the posterior lateral line lobe of a mormyrid fish - a golgi study .
. far gentler than that generated by a stingray or electric eel , this is used not for defence but for navigation , for finding food , and for finding a mate . male and female elephantnose fish have distinctly different electrical signatures but these can be distorted in the aquarium , which may be why they have never bred in captivity .
fish may be smarter than we thought . not only can some recognize human faces , but others can use their senses in a way that it was believed only humans and other mammals could manage . a team of zoologists at the university of bonn has discovered that , despite lacking a complex brain , the african elephantnose fish can swap between its electrical and visual senses in the same way a person can switch between sight and touch .
schwarz s , emde g von der . distance discrimination during active electrolocation in the weakly electric fish
kramer b , tautz j , markl h . the eod sound response in weakly electric fish .
arnegard me , carlson ba . electric organ discharge patterns during group hunting by a mormyrid fish .
so that you can supply them with an extra meal at dusk when other fish are less active .
. with other types of fish they tend to be shy , though individual temperament varies a lot .
emde g von der . discrimination of objects through electrolocation in the weakly electric fish , gnathonemus petersii .
grau hj , bastian j . neural correlates of novelty detection in pulse - type weakly electric fish .
szabo t , hagiwara s . a latency change mechanism involved in sensory coding of electric fish ( mormyrids )
this page will give a completely detailed profile of the selected fish , from a to z . the profiled fish will be chosen randomly by badman , and will come from the complete genre of tropical fish . new profiles are added on a regular basis . if you would like to submit a profile for the site please contact me . don ' t forget to let us know you experiences with this fish by filling out the
electric fish navigate and explore their dark and turbid environment with a specialised electric sense . this active electrolocation involves the generation and perception of an electric signal and fish have proven to be useful model systems for the investigation of sensory - motor interactions . a well studied example is the elephantnose fish , gnathonemus petersii , which has a characteristic and unique elongated chin covered with hundreds of electroreceptor organs . this highly moveable so - called schnauzenorgan constitutes the main fovea of the active electrosensory system . here we present first evidence for a sensory - motor loop relating active electrical sensing to active motor exploration of the environment .
people and animals can navigate a darkened room by touch , hearing , or even smell , and then switch immediately to sight when the lights come on without having to reassess their surroundings . this was thought to require the cerebral cortex of the mammalian brain , but the elephantnose fish doesn ' t have a cerebral cortex and seems to manage it like a zx - 80 running windows 10 .
the fish’s ability to see the wood for the trees probably helps it spot incoming predators like catfish . so reichenbach thinks its oddball visual system isn’t a mistake . “it’s the right type for this fish , ” he says .
saltwater and marine fish topics menu located at the bottom of the blog . we have also added the fish experts questions and answers in regards to the most common questions we receive on our email . scroll down to see it
emde g von der . non - visual environmental imaging and object detection through active electrolocation in weakly electric fish .
emde g von der , zelick r . behavioral detection of electric signal waveform distortion in the weakly electric fish ,
the ability to recognize objects across different is senses is regarded as an evolutionary plus because it provides the animal with greater sensory flexibility in different environments . however , it ' s been thought that this ability was confined to certain highly developed mammals , including monkeys , dolphins , rats , and humans , because the information processing was thought to require a cerebral cortex . that is , until the elephantnose fish came along .
s ' , you can use this method from time to time to check on your fish ' s well being .
szabo t . sense organs of the lateral line system in some electric fish of the gymnotidae , mormyridae and gymnarchidae .
emde g von der , bleckmann h . finding food : senses involved in foraging for insect larvae in the electric fish ,
post n , emde g von der . the
novelty response
in an electric fish : response properties and habituation .
hall c , bell c , zelick r . behavioral evidence of a latency code for stimulus intensity in mormyrid electric fish .
engelmann j , pusch r , emde g von der . active sensing : pre - receptor mechanisms and behavior in electric fish .
also known as peter’s elephantnose , this fascinating species is currently the most common mormyrid in the hobby . sadly , its popularity means it is often kept in unsuitable conditions . to deny the fish a soft substrate really is cruel , as it uses its “trunk” to locate food hidden in the substrate . it also needs dim lighting , and will commonly become withdrawn and pine away if kept under bright lights . if you cannot provide suitable lighting , add food to the tank at lights out to allow the fish to feed , along with plenty of cover for them to hide in during tanklight hours .
like other mormyrids , it produces a weak electric field using specially - adapted muscle tissue located towards the tail . it also possesses electroreceptors which allow the fish to receive electrical signals . with these , the fish can sense the tiniest of movements as the field around it is disturbed , and navigate in total darkness , useful skills for a poorly - sighted fish when hunting prey or avoiding predators in the gloom . what is most fascinating about this adaptation is that the fish also use it to communicate with each other and find partners .
elephantnoses are a member of the mormyridae family , or electric fish . they emit small electrical pulses from an organ located inside their nose . the pulses will change with the mood of the fish . female elephantnoses have shorter pulses , males longer . they also have very poor eyesight , so this organ helps them navigate around the tank . this slight electricity should not hurt the other fish in the tank .
the fish were started in the experiments with the lights on , where they could use both senses , then in the dark . with the lights off , the team could see that the fish found their goal , but only at short range – indicating that it was using its electrical sense . the scientists then made the objects electrically invisible , so the fish could use only sight and repeated the experiment .
overall the color of the fish is a dark brown or black color . there are a pair of somewhat yellow vertical bands that extend from the back of the dorsal to the anal fin . not a stunning fish as far as color goes , but nice in its own right .
. they grow up to twenty four centimetres in length but can live happily alongside peaceful fish of anything down to a third of their size .
twenty - four fish ( gnathonemus petersii , günther 1862 ) , all purchased from aquarium glaser ( rodgau , germany ) , were used in this study . fish were housed in two 100 litre tanks of constant temperature ( 22 - 24°c ) and electrical conductivity ( 100 to 120 μs / cm ) .
elephantnoses are very timid and nocturnal . a very well planted tank with multiple hiding places in the form of driftwood , pots and pipes is a must , otherwise your elephant nose will be very stressed . soft gravel is also necessary , so they don ' t damage their sensitive noses . hobbyists have reported that these fish only swim in the open when all lights in the room are completely off , yet others say that their fish are very active , and will swim around their owners ' hands during water changes , so it ' s sort of hit or miss . the fish will be much more friendly , however , once comfortable in its surroundings . one tip for viewing your elephant nose during the day is to purchase some see - through plastic pipes , and put a few plants in front . that way the elephantnose can feel secure , and you can view them .
, though they can share that space with other types of fish . they are best kept either singly or in groups of three or more ; keeping two will
i have not been so lucky as everyone else . i have tried twice now to have the elephantnose in my 55g tank with no success . they have lasted 2 to 3 days and wind up dead in the bottom of my tank . all the water levels are where they should be and i have been feeding them at night ( frozen brine shrimp ) , plenty of cover . . . i see where some recommend 3
wöhl s , schuster s . the predictive start of hunting archer fish : a flexible and precise motor pattern performed with the kinematics of an escape c - start .
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the fish has paid a price for its electrical sensitivity . processing the signals takes brainpower , so it has an exceptionally large brain . as a result , 60 per cent of the oxygen taken in by the fish goes to its brain . even humans , with our whopping brains , only devote 20 per cent of our oxygen to them .
emde g von der , ronacher b . perception of electric properties of objects in electrolocating weakly electric fish : two - dimensional similarity scaling reveals a city - block metric .
hollmann m , engelmann j , emde g von der . distribution , density and morphology of electroreceptor organs in mormyrid weakly electric fish : anatomical investigations of a receptor mosaic .
to study this phenomenon , the zoologists took 10 fish and taught them how to recognize objects using both their visual and electrical senses . they did this using an aquarium separated into two chambers that held a sphere and a cuboid object . each fish was introduced to the aquarium and taught to select one or the other object with rewards of larvae .
the unusual appearance and novelty of the elephant nose has increased its popularity in recent years . if the proper care is taken they will be a rewarding member of your fish community .
these experiments were conducted in a separate tank ( 27 × 13 × 8 cm 3 , 100 μs cm - 1 ) with fish that were curarized and artificially respirated . fish initially were anaesthetised ( ms - 222 , 306 . 17 μmol l - 1 ) followed by an injection of 30 μl pancuronium ( solution 4 mg pancuroniumbromid per 2 ml , thinner 1 : 400 , organo teknika ) . afterwards the fish was rigidly placed in the tank where it was connected to an artificial respiration system . recording technique and animal handling was similar to that described elsewhere [ 51 ] .
this is one of the most interesting fishes . very exciting to watch . they are freindly with all . the nose bends around while searching for food . one of few fish that swims backwards often .
while our systematic mapping of the response was restricted to the head region of the fish , experiments with the objects placed at the trunk of the fish never evoked sors . in these experiments , the trunk was only partially covered . we therefore conclude that particularly the schnauzenorgan is the focal region for evoking sors , but can not exclude that sors might also be evoked form other regions in freely behaving animals .
i bought an elephantnose about two months ago . i built a cave for him out of some flat rocks that i found in lake ontario , but he refuses to come out of it unless it is completely dark in the room . at this moment in time he is about 13 cm long . they also have some electrical organs in their tails . it ' s too weak to affect any fish at all , they can ' t even feel it . i don ' t know why they are there , but i just thought it would be cool to know . they eat blood worms , it ' s best to feed them after you turn off the lights or they won ' t get the food and they ' ll starve to death .
hi ! i have 5 elephant nose fish in a 150 gal . tank . it shares its space with 5 cichlids , 1 black ghost knife fish , 2 chinese eaters , 1 pleco , and a bunch of different species of tetras . my elephant nose fish are doing great ! i feed them frozen ( and live ) brine shrimp , bloodworms , sometimes krill , sinking meaty pellets , and cyclop - eeze ( which is a crustacean ) , and chopped up night crawlers . my tank temperature is 79 degrees f . and ph is 6 . 8 . it is also well planted with 2 pieces of driftwood .
please remember that the following comments are personal experiences and may or may not apply to your setup . use them as guide to help better understand your fish , like us all individuals will behave differently under different circumstances .
weakly electric fish produce electric signals ( electric organ discharges , eods ) with a specialised electric organ creating an electric field around their body . objects within this field alter the eod - induced current at epidermal electroreceptor organs , which are distributed over almost the entire body surface . the detection , localisation and analysis of objects performed by monitoring self - produced electric signals is called active electrolocation . electric fish employ active electrolocation to detect objects that are less than 12 cm away and have electric properties that are different from those of the surrounding water . within this range , the mormyrid gnathonemus petersii can also perceive the distance of objects . depth perception is independent of object parameters such as size , shape and material . the mechanism for distance determination through electrolocation involves calculating the ratio between two parameters of the electric image that the object projects onto the fish ' s skin . electric fish can not only locate objects but can also analyse their electrical properties . fish are informed about object impedance by measuring local amplitude changes at their receptor organs evoked by an object . in addition , all electric fish studied so far can independently determine the capacitative and resistive components of objects that possess complex impedances . this ability allows the fish to discriminate between living and non - living matter , because capacitance is a property of living organisms . african mormyrids and south american gymnotiforms use different mechanisms for capacitance detection . mormyrids detect capacitance - evoked eod waveform distortions , whereas gymnotiforms perform time measurements . gymnotiforms measure the temporal phase shift of their eods induced at body parts close to the object relative to unaffected body parts further away .
i find that having more fish and a large group of elephant noses will bring them out during the day time . i currently have 13 elephant nose in a 140 gallon tank with tetras , plecos , rainbows and corys . there is probably about 80 different fish with the elephant nose . the elephant nose are so happy that they come up and feed out of my hand . there is plenty of driftwood , rocks and plants for them to hide in .
elephant noses are a great fish to have but i wouldn ' t recommend it to beginners as they are very sensitive to water quality . i use to have 2 of these fish but you are supposed to have 3 + because they are very territorial with each other so you need more than to so they share the bullying . they wont harm each other but will skillfully chase one another dodging in and out plants and décor with great precision . make sure you have places for them to hide as they are more active at night . one of mine use to live under a slightly raised piece of slate and the other in a hollow coconut . to keep them thriving do regular water changes maybe 1 every 2 weeks change 20 % of water . they will take all frozen foods mainly bloodworm and will be trained to eat from your hand . make sure you don ' t have large gravel for the bottom or it can harm their noses i recommend sand or fine gravel . they are very god with other fish they lived with maybe 19 other fish including 2 cichlids and 2 red eyed puffers in my 45 gallon tank . very enjoyable fish .
it finds its way through the murk using its trunk , which generates a weak electrical field that helps it sense its surroundings and even discriminate between different objects . the fish’s electric sense allows it to hunt insect larvae in pitch darkness .
in order to diminish the amplitude of the eod produced by the fish and thereby impair active electrolocation , the tail of the fish was wrapped in aluminium foil . this caused a short circuit of the electrical organ . in these experiments , the two dipole objects were positioned at a lateral distance of 3 mm at the middle of the so , and novelty responses and sors were evoked , investigated , and analysed in the same manner as described for the standard paradigm above .
, you can tune into it by placing two electrodes in the aquarium water and connecting them to an amplifier . the field will then manifest as a series of clicks , increasing in frequency hen the fish is distressed or excited . although you
pusch r , emde g von der , hollmann m , bacelo j , nobel s , grant k , engelmann j . active sensing in a mormyrid fish : electric images and peripheral modifications of the signal carrier give evidence of dual foveation .
pusch r , emde g von der , hollmann m , bacelo j , nöbel s , grant k , engelmann j . active sensing in a mormyrid fish - electric images and peripheral modifications of the signal carrier give evidence of dual foveation .
i bought 3 , within a couple of weeks two were dead , too shy to come out and eat . the survivor gets along fine with the other fish in the 110 gal . community tank , ( black ghost knife , red tail shark , bala sharks , angel fish , gouramis , plecos , clown loaches , tiger barbs and rasboras ) it likes to hang around with the black ghost knife the most . have had it over a year with no problems . especially likes blood worms .
it ' s an omnivore which prefers live foods , but will take frozen foods , and possibly flake . the ' trunk ' is used for hunting small food organisms , a soft substrate is necessary to prevent injury to the snout . these fish have a weak electric organ which they use for navigation . you must take great care if you ever need to treat these fish , or a tank containing them , with a medication . they are sensitive to several of the common treatments - read the product insert carefully .
because of the peculiar design of the fish’s retina , it was thought to be blind until about 10 years ago , says andreas reichenbach of the paul flechsig institute for brain research in leipzig , germany . reichenbach has now worked out what the cups are for .
there is no other fish that even closely resembles the elephant nose . the top and bottom profiles are almost identical , which come to an end in a forked shaped caudal fin ( tail . ) the small dorsal fin is located at the end of the body , it to is mirrored by the anal fin . the most distinguishing trait of the fish is its ' mouth . it is located at the eye level and the lower jaw section extends into a moveable trunk like extension . guess where the common name comes from .
- very difficult to breed in captivity . studies have shown that when introduced into aquaria , the electrical organ that is used to find food can get reversed from male to female , making it impossible for even the fish to tell the gender of their tank mates .
it cannot be sexed by external means ( some sources suggest the shape of the anal fin may be significant ) , although the sexes can be distinguished by examining the electric fields produced by the fish . obviously this approach is not an option for the general aquarist .
what the researchers found is that the fish could recognize objects electrically that they had only seen visually , in addition , they favored whichever sense was most reliable at the time with the electrical sense dominating when the object was close up , while vision dominated with distant objects .
) . switches were between a shunted and open - circuit object ( see standard stimulus in the material and methods section ) . motor - responses of the schnauzenorgan could be evoked in all fish by both , an impedance - switch from a low to a high impedance ( fig .
this is a nocturnal fish , so dim lighting is required to make it feel secure . plenty of cover should also be provided , particularly if you’re keeping a few together . smooth rocks , driftwood and plants that can survive under low lighting , such as anubias sp . , java fern and vallisneria can all be used . a sand substrate is absolutely critical to the well - being of this species , as it burrows into it with it’s proboscis - like lower lip . sharp - edged or coarse substrates can damage the mouthparts of the fish and prevent it from feeding naturally .
not thought to have been achieved in captivity . one scientific study suggests that being kept in the confines of an aquarium causes the sexually - defining patterns of electric impulses to become less clearly defined or even reversed . this means the fish cannot recognise members of the opposite sex , and inhibits spawning .
mormyrids also have relatively large brains , possessing the equivalent of a human brain in terms of its size . there are 3 different types of electroreceptors that carry information to different parts of this , amazingly allowing g . petersii to distinguish between different species of fish and ascertain the sex of conspecifics in total darkness !
before animals could be transferred to the experimental set - up , they were anaesthetised by immersion in ms - 222 ( tricaine methane sulfonate ; sigma , st . louis , mo , usa ; concentration 306 . 17 μmol l - 1 ) and transferred to a holder . here , the fish ' s trunk was lightly restrained . the animals head was not covered from the pectoral fin to the so . the holder was placed in a tank ( 30 × 19 . 5 × 18 . 5 cm 3 lxwxh ) with fresh water ( 123 μs cm - 1 ) , where the fish recovered from anaesthesia within a few minutes .
we have had two of these fish in a 96 let tank for over eighteen years . they have plenty of bog wood to hide under and usually rest at opposite ends of the tank . there is also some plants but not enough to make it too crowded as they do sometimes like to shoot around when the lights are off . they only like bloodworm which they are given once the lights are off . they have shared the tank with a variety of other community fish over the years , currently eight harlequins , three pandas , a corydoras myersi and a few cardinal tetras . 30 % water change every three ( ish ) weeks
it is well established that some electric fish can respond to changes in their environment with a change in the rate of their eods [ 16 , 19 , 22 , 26 , 30 , 31 ] . these novelty responses can be evoked by all sensory modalities . here we show that novelty responses caused by changes in the impedance of an object located near the schnauzenorgan can be accompanied by a previously un - described motor - response , the schnauzenorgan response . following a novelty response , fish show a quick movement of their schnauzenorgan towards or away from the object . both sor and novelty response probabilities scale with the change in the eod - amplitude .
it’s less easily kept with conspecifics . buying only 2 is not recommended , as the stronger will often bully the weaker to death . if you wish to keep more than one of these you’ll need a suitably large tank with lots of hiding places . buy at least 5 fish in order to disperse aggression within the group .
these are the coolest fish . i have one named elefunky . he is in a large tank with 2 kissing gouramis , 2 gold gouramis , 1 dwarf gourami , 2 small barbs , 3 kuhli loaches , 3 albino catfish and 1 bristle nose catty . he loves swimming amongst the plants , and spends the majority of his time there . he does however cruise around the tank , nose butting everyone else just to remind them of his dominence . he has it all over them , even the larger fish . saying that , he and the bristle nose have buddied up together . i highly recommend elefunkies , everyone should have one . be careful if treating the tank with medication , they have no scales and it can burn their soft skin .
sors were undirected single movements of the schnauzenorgan , but up to seven consecutive movements were observed . theses were reminiscent of the rhythmic scanning movements of the schnauzenorgan , which these fish perform during foraging [ 39 , 40 ] . irrespective whether a single or multiple sors were evoked , sors were quick , with angular velocities reaching 89 . 4 ± 34 . 3° / sec . this value is lower than the natural scanning movement observed in freely moving animals , where values of up to 500° / sec have been reported [ 28 ] . however , these data were based on regular video analysis at frame rates of 40 ms and an analysis of freely moving fish using high - speed videos ( 128 frame / sec ) indicates that natural scanning movements are comparable in their speed to evoked sors .
in order to analyse the latency of the sor and to compare it with the latency of the simultaneously recorded novelty response , we used high - speed video sequences ( 128 frames / sec ; 16 sors ) obtained from one fish . these data show that the peak of the novelty response occurred at a mean latency of about 40 ms after changing the electrical properties of the dipole - object . the latency of
the elephant nose are shy by nature and will require a well planted aquarium , with subdued lighting and a soft substrate . you must include hiding places in the form of clay pipes , rockwork or driftwood . they should be kept singly as they are somewhat aggressive to their own species . nocturnal in nature they will become more active at dusk and start looking for food , it is important to provide this to them after the lights come out . given time they will become active with the other fish with the lights on . feed them with tubifex worms , mosquito larva and bloodworms . they are a member of the electric fish family and emit a small electrical charges that change with their mood . they are very sensitive to water quality and i have read that some municipal water companies use them as a gauge of water purity .
like other scaleless fish , it is sensitive to many aquarium medications , including salt . it is also very sensitive to deteriorating water conditions and is actually used as an indicator of water quality in municipal supplies in parts of germany and the us . the frequency of its electrical discharges increases as the water becomes more polluted . when maintained correctly , however , it makes a superb addition to the african biotope aquarium , or a community of compatible species .
in this study we are mainly interested in possible links between ( motor ) behaviour and electrolocation . it has been shown that the mormyromast system is important for foraging and orientation [ 10 , 11 ] . fish can perceive a wealth of information form their ' electrical ' world , including parameters such as size and distance of objects and the differentiation of various object properties , like capacitive and resistive electrical properties [ for review see : [ 12 ] ] .
) . except for the tip of the schnauzenorgan , where the orientation of the dipole - object was along the rostro - caudal axis of the animal , two such dipole - objects were placed at equal distances at opposing sides of the animal . distances between dipole - object and the skin of the fish were 1 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 10 , 12 and 15 mm , and placement of the objects along the length of the animal is shown in figure
a quiet but territorial species . it is peaceful towards heterospecifics , although it should not be kept with very active or aggressive species , as it will be out - competed at feeding time . it also does not mix well with other mormyrids . suggested tankmates include other african species such as butterfly fish , smaller bichirs , congo tetras , synodontis catfish and ctenopoma species . g . petersii can also be kept successfully with peaceful cichlids such as satanoperca , some geophagus and angelfish .
in the course of evolution many different sensory systems and sensory receptors have developed . one of the rather unique sensory systems is that of active electrolocation and electro - communication found in mormyriform and gymnotiform weakly electric fishes from africa and south america , respectively . during active electrolocation mormyrids emit and simultaneously perceive electric signals , which enable them to detect and analyse nearby objects . this is considered as an adaptation enabling electric fish to extend their activity to the hours of darkness , since the dependence on vision is expected to be reduced .
capacitive switches evoked a sor in 45 % of all stimuli ( 70 switches , 32 sors ) . in comparison , purely resistive switches ( from a short to an isolator ) under otherwise identical conditions lead to sors in 55 out of 64 cases ( 86 % ; 64 switches in 4 fish ) . sors caused by capacitive switches were less frequent and also lower in amplitude compared to those caused by purely resistive switches ( mann - whitney u - test , z = - 2 . 5 , p < 0 . 011 ; fig .
probability of sor . a . probability of the sor as a function of the dipole - object ' s position along the body of the fish . black filling represents a single sor , medium grey two , and light grey bars three consecutive responses , respectively . the total probability of a sor is given by the white bars . numbers above the graphs show the absolute number of stimuli ( 100 % ) at each position . b . box - and - whisker plot of the amplitude ( peak amplitude ) of the sor as a function of distance . sor amplitude were almost constant at object distances of 1 to 12 mm , while amplitudes decreased at a distance of 15 mm c . box - and - whisker plot of the peak amplitude of the sor as a function of dipole position . sors declined in amplitude form rostral to caudal along the fish ' s body . in b and c horizontal lines above the plots summarise the results of the dunn post - hoc test ( p < 0 . 05 ) . data labelled far in b and c indicates the false alarm rate amplitudes .
i have read that the elephant noses are not for beginners but i am new to having a larger tank i have one in a 40 gallon tank and it is very happy and healthy so far . we have had it about 2 months now . we have lots of live plants and two driftwood pieces we put together to form a sort of cave / tunnel for it . we also have 2 fantail goldfish , 2 mickey mouse platys , 2 sunburst platys , 3 dalmation mollys , a peacock eel ( who swims constantly and never hides which i heard is not normal ) , a pleco and ghost shrimp . the elephant nose swims around day and night although more so at night . it doesn ' t really bother any of the other fish unless they go into one small part of the
cave
and even then it doesn ' t bite them , just kind of scares em off . he / she always has it ' s head sticking out , watching the other fish and never really hides completely . within 3 days it was eating the frozen blood worms out of my hand ( although i have to bring the food to it , it doesn ' t come and get it ) and when i clean the tank it swims around my hand and through my fingers . we have had a high nitrite ( or nitrate ? i always confuse the two ) problem and it did not seem to effect the fish at all . that problem is now under control . i have to honestly say i was not thrilled when my husband first got the fish , i thought it was incredibly ugly but it ' s temperament and the way it responds to me has changed my mind . i can defiantly see myself getting another in the future . the only issue we had was that my husband got 2 at the same time and they chased / harassed each other all the time . we gave one away and now they are both happy . the pet store didn ' t think to mention that they are territorial , especially with their own kind and they had had the two in a tank . . . go figure . thank goodness for the internet and sites like this one or i would never have known !
yet a different example of electrosensory foveation in the passive electrosensory system can be found in paddlefish ( polyodon spathula ) , which have the highest density of ampullary receptors on their rostrum [ 44 ] . these fish swim in an undulatory manner that imparts a lateral oscillating motion to their rostrum . these saccade - like motions of the rostrum are interpreted as an adaptation for prey detection , since they increase the width of the electrical scan field . in contrast to the sor , however , these movements are rather slow . if a potential prey is encountered , however , a fast and precise turning of the rostrum takes place .
a video camera ( sony dcr - hc 40e ) was placed above the tank and images of the animals were acquired and stored at 22 frames / s with a pc running viewer 2 ( biobserve , bonn , germany ) . a pair of carbon electrodes on the inside wall of the tank between the head and tail of the fish was used to record the electric organ discharges ( custom - built amplifier , band pass filtered 10 hz - 10 khz ) . eods were stored using a ced digitiser ( cambridge electronic design , micro 1401 12 bit , 200 khz , analogue - digital converter ) and spike2 software ( cambridge electronic design ltd ) .
my experience with elephant nose is they need worm - type food ( e . g frozen blood worm , live black worm ) diet due to the structure of the mouth . the mouth is the hole above the nose sensory . the elephant nose will refuse dry food because of they lack of ability to consume the food from the shape of their mouth . the elephant nose has poor sight and relies on the electric sensory organs . the requirement of cave fixtures whether from rocks or drift wood is a must to make them feel secure . caves preferred by the elephant nose is one with two doorways . elephant nose needs to be the dominant bottom dweller as it can easily be stressed or bullied by a more bossy species . this is the major reason i do not keep elephant noses anymore , because of my larger clown loaches were giving the fish a difficult time . other bottom dwelling fish to avoid is the pictus catfish , eeltails or tandanus catfish , large clown loaches and black ghost , due to their bossy nature towards the elephant nose . another thing is elephant nose are sensitive to poor water quality . you need to practice good aquarium management , such as regular water changes . although elephant nose is nocturnal and secretive , they can be trained in behaviour by food rewards to be more outgoing or to come out in the day .
disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
vertebrates have repeatedly been noted for having remarkably constant ratios of brain to body o2 consumption , the brain using 2 - 8 % of resting body o2 consumption , suggesting that evolution has put strict limits on the energetic cost of brain function . only man , with a value of 20 % , is an exception to this rule . however , the results presented here suggest that , in the electric fish gnathonemus petersii , the brain is responsible for approximately 60 % of body o2 consumption , a figure three times higher than that for any other vertebrate studied , including man . the exceptionally high energetic cost of the g . petersii brain appears to be a consequence both of the brain being very large and of the fish being ectothermic . it was also found that g . petersii has a high ability to utilise o2 at low levels . thus , during falling [ o2 ] , this species was found to maintain both its o2 uptake and its electric discharge rate down to an ambient o2 level of 0 . 8 mg l - 1 ( at 26 & deg ; c ) , although it was unable to tolerate an [ o2 ] below 0 . 3 mg l - 1 . during severe hypoxia ( < 0 . 8 mg l - 1 ) , g . petersii attempted to gulp air from the water surface . these results establish a new record for the energetic cost of a vertebrate brain and they show that the species possessing such a brain has a high capacity for utilising o2 at very low ambient concentrations .