Aba, or the African knife fish, is a large freshwater fish up to 1.8 meters long. It lives in the rivers and lakes of Africa and uses electrical impulses to find prey and navigate in murky water.
The aba differs from other African fish by the absence of a dorsal fin and the presence of an electric organ. It is important for nature because it regulates the population of small fish and serves as an indicator of the state of water bodies.
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Immature form that undergoes metamorphosis before adulthood.
Offspring
Worker
Elders
Bro
birth time
lakes and ponds
freshwater marsh and wetlands
Taxons
carnivore
rivers and streams
if born as {name}
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
Electric organ size
g
age
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
birth date
Head size
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
no permanent shelter
Close
very hot and very humid all year round, rain almost every day
was
days
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
The basics
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
My weight?
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
adult
Maturity
fish of small size
primary food sources
crabs
Handbag
Potential Habitat
About health
from 1.2 to 4.8 kilograms, 0.7 – 1.4 meters
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
results
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
Gestation
Body size
Colors
Sex
{name} birthday
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
live fish
No results found
Trophic type
Filters
small fish
On the map
lunge
all life stages
Female ♀
Body color
Upcoming birthdays
standing fresh waters — lakes, ponds, oxbow lakes
world of Afrotropics
Breeding structure built or used for laying eggs and raising offspring.
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
birth year
Maturity
rains almost always, very humid
Age (juvenile)
insect larvae and caterpillars
Age (from birth to death)
sq mm
yr
Age (embryo)
Wanderers
How similar?
Egg size
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Male ♂
until the celebration
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Neither
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
Anal fin size
zoo-plankton
nest
Lifespan average
What do they eat?
insect larvae
Anal fin color
Where do they live?
from birth to death
Regeneration
Anal fin count
early young
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
world of Afrotropics
end of lifespan
Freshwater
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
fish
end of acceleration
Share
swampy freshwater biotopes — peat bogs, marshes, river mangroves
Duration
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Freshwater
hot, uneven rains, lots of grass and trees
Always hot and wet
This is me
freshwater
Actively hunting and capturing live prey.
Always very wet
Gamers
Pets
How are they built?
all rivers and lakes
Primary oral structure used to seize, manipulate, or ingest food.
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
{name} jubilee
Asexual
swap
freshwater environment — rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps
cm
zooplankton feeding, animal plankton — small crustaceans and larvae
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
active predation
mouth
turns
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Rascals
Where do they take shelter?
Head color
celebrated their {n} birthday
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
Litter size
live crabs, shrimps, lobsters
flowing fresh waters — rivers, streams, mountain torrents
Daddies
Tropical savanna
Lifespan maximum
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
°C
Not specified
Hermaphrodite ⚥
Egg color
Where are they found?
Species lacks any fixed or lasting shelter structure.
embryo
all rivers and lakes
Length
kg
Rapid forward strike to seize prey.
Observations
◉{N} more on tap