Trystan Casey
Electric animals are fascinating creatures that have evolved to use electricity to their advantage, whether it's for hunting prey or defending themselves against predators. Electric eels, for example, can generate an electrical charge of up to 600 volts, while the elephant nose fish uses its protruded chin to detect the electrical impulses of its prey. However, the question arises: Are there any animals that are immune to electricity? Electric animals themselves are not always immune to their own electricity, as is the case with electric eels, which frequently kill each other by accident. But the electric catfish stands out as an exception, as it seems to be unable to be shocked at all, whether by its own or external electrical sources. This intriguing phenomenon has caught the attention of scientists, who are yet to uncover the full extent of the electric catfish's insulation from electric shocks.
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What You'll Learn
Electric eels
Despite their powerful electric abilities, electric eels do frequently shock themselves and other electric eels by accident. This is because most of their organs are located in a small region anterior to their tails, so if an electric current passes through their vital organs, they can die. However, the brief duration of the current means that the electric eel itself does not feel the shock, although its prey would be stunned.
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Electric rays
The electric ray's unique battery-like system enables it to electrocute prey with voltages ranging from 8 volts in some narcinids to 220 volts in the Atlantic torpedo ray. This voltage is sufficient to stun larger prey, which the torpedinids then swallow whole. In contrast, the narcinids primarily target small prey found on or near the bottom substrate. Both groups utilise electricity for defence, but it is unclear if the narcinids employ electricity in feeding as well.
The arrangement of electrocytes within the electric organs increases the electrical output, similar to connecting batteries in a row. Marine rays have their batteries connected in parallel, while freshwater rays have them in series, allowing for higher voltage discharges due to freshwater's lower conductivity compared to saltwater. This adaptation enables freshwater rays to effectively transmit electrical signals despite the lower conductivity of their environment.
The electric ray's ability to generate electricity has fascinated humans for centuries, with references to its numbing effects found in ancient texts. For instance, Plato, in his dialogue Meno, compares Socrates' puzzling questions to the stunning effect of the torpedo fish. Additionally, Scribonius Largus, a Roman physician, documented the use of torpedo fish for treating headaches and gout in his Compositiones Medicae in 46 AD. The electric organs of these rays were also the subject of Royal Society papers in the 1770s, influencing the work of Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta, the pioneers of electrophysiology and electrochemistry.
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Electric catfish
The electric organ of the catfish is composed of modified muscle tissue and forms a fine, gelatinous layer directly beneath the soft, naked skin of the fish. This organ is derived from anterior body musculature and lines the body cavity. Electric catfish do not have dorsal fins or fin spines, but they do have three pairs of barbels (with the nasal pair absent). The largest individuals can grow to about 1.2 meters (3-4 feet) and 20-23 kilograms (44-51 pounds).
In terms of behaviour, electric catfish are opportunistic feeders and will consume prey up to half their size. They are slow-moving and deliberate feeders, often consuming infrequent, heavy meals. They occur in relatively high densities, with each fish separated by 10 to 12 meters, and they have few natural predators aside from tigerfish. Electric catfish are sometimes kept in home aquariums and are also eaten as food in parts of Africa, particularly along the shores of Lake Kainji, where smoked electric catfish is a delicacy.
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Sharks
The source of sharks' electroreception lies around their snouts and lower jaws, where tiny dots, known as ampullae de Lorenzini, can be found. These dots are open pores filled with an electrically conductive jelly, with hair-like cells called cilia at the bottom. Electrical currents travel through the jelly to the cilia, which then trigger the release of neurotransmitters in the shark's brain, signalling the presence of nearby prey.
The discovery of sharks' electric sense is attributed to Adrianus "Ad" Kalmijn, who, in a 1971 experiment, found that sharks could sense the electromagnetic fields of their prey even when they were enclosed in protective cases that prevented the sharks from seeing, hearing, or smelling them. Kalmijn's work has had a significant influence on the field of biology and has changed the way biologists think about ocean life.
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Platypuses
The electroreceptors in a platypus's bill are connected to the mucous glands on its skin through unique gland duct receptors. These electroreceptors serve a dual purpose: they assist in hunting underwater and prevent the platypus's bill from drying out when out of the water. This adaptation is an example of convergent evolution, where unrelated species develop analogous organs to adapt to similar habitats.
The ability to detect electricity is a valuable trait for platypuses, allowing them to compensate for low visibility during nocturnal hunting. This sixth sense, shared with other species like sharks, provides a significant advantage in locating prey and navigating their environment.
While platypuses are known for their electroreception abilities, it is important to note that they are not the only animals with this capability. Several other species, including electric fish, bees, and a newly discovered species of dolphin, have also evolved to sense and utilize electricity in various ways to survive and thrive in their respective habitats.
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Frequently asked questions
Electric catfish cannot be shocked and seem to be immune to both their own electricity and outside electrical sources.
Electric eels are vulnerable to their own electricity and can accidentally kill themselves.
Yes, many animals can generate and detect electricity. Some examples include the platypus, the elephant nose fish, the Oriental hornet, the Guiana dolphin, the stargazer fish, electric rays, and the gecko.
They use structures called electroreceptors or electrolocation to detect prey or zap predators. For example, the elephant nose fish uses its long chin to detect the electrical impulses of prey, while the Oriental hornet uses specialized yellow tissues to absorb sunlight and brown tissues to generate electricity.
It is not entirely clear why some animals are immune to electricity, but it may be due to the evolution of their electric organs and the type of tissue from which these organs derive.
