Beatrice Lang
Electric eels are not actually eels at all but are neotropical freshwater fish from South America. They are the largest of the knifefish and can grow to be almost 8 feet (2.5 m) long and weigh up to 44 lbs (20 kg). They have long, slender, scaleless bodies that are olive to black in colour with a yellow or orange-hued throat region. Electric eels have poor eyesight and live in muddy, dark waters, so they emit a weak electric signal to navigate, find a mate, and locate prey. They can also deliver a powerful electric shock of up to 860 volts to stun prey and keep predators at bay.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Length | Up to 8 feet (2.5 meters) |
| Weight | Up to 44 lbs (20 kg) |
| Body shape | Long and slender with a flattened, broad head |
| Body colour | Olive to black with a yellow or orange throat |
| Fins | Elongated anal fin and small pectoral fins |
| Eyesight | Poor |
| Habitat | Muddy, dark waters |
| Diet | Small fish and amphibians |
| Behaviour | Nocturnal and not aggressive |
| Electric charge | Up to 860 volts |
| Electric organs | Made of modified muscle cells (electrocytes) |
| Electric discharge types | Low voltage and high voltage |
| Electric field | Yes, used for navigation and communication |
| Species | Three: Electrophorus voltai, Electrophorus varii, and Electrophorus electricus |
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What You'll Learn
Electric eels are not true eels
Electric eels have poor eyesight, so they emit a weak electric signal to navigate, find a mate, and locate prey. They can also use this electric field to compensate for their poor vision in their murky water habitat. This method is similar to echolocation, which is used by bats and dolphins. Electric eels are obligate air-breathing fish, absorbing 80% of their required oxygen by taking air in through the mouth. They will drown if denied access to atmospheric air.
Electric eels are not aggressive, but they do have a powerful electric charge that can be used for defence against predators and to stun prey. They can produce shocks of up to 860 volts, which is more than five times the power of a standard US wall socket. This electric charge comes from three electric organs that contain cells called electrocytes. These organs are made of modified muscle cells and are rich in proteins and ion pumps that help regulate the electrical discharge.
In 2019, electric eels were split into three species: Electrophorus electricus, E. voltai, and E. varii. This genus, Electrophorus, is a neotropical freshwater fish from South America in the family Gymnotidae. The lineage of the Electrophorus genus is estimated to have split from its sister taxon Gymnotus sometime in the Cretaceous.
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They are closely related to catfish
Electric eels are not actually eels at all! They are more closely related to carp and catfish. They are members of the electroreceptive knifefish order Gymnotiformes, which is more closely related to catfish. Electric eels are the largest of the knifefish and can grow to be almost 8 feet (2.5 m) and weigh up to 44 lbs. (20 kg). They have long, stout bodies, with a cylindrical shape towards the front that becomes more flattened towards the tail end. The body is olive to black in colour, with a yellow or orange-hued throat region. Electric eels have small eyes and poor vision, which they compensate for by creating an electric field around themselves that helps them navigate through their murky water habitat. This method is similar to echolocation used by bats and dolphins.
Electric eels are obligate air-breathing fish, which means they surface for air periodically and will drown if denied access to atmospheric air. They are nocturnal and live in the quiet, slow-moving waters of oxbow lakes, streams, pools, and flooded forests of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers. They prefer calm, muddy waters and are often found on coastal plains, swamps, and creeks. Electric eels are not aggressive and use their electric charge primarily for defence against predators and to stun prey. They can produce shocks of up to 860 volts, making them the most powerful of all electric fishes.
The electric organs of electric eels create both strong and weak electric charges, which are used for defence, hunting, communication, and navigation. The strong electric charges are produced by the main electrical organ and two-thirds of the Hunter's organ, while the remainder of the Hunter's organ and the Sachs' organ produce the weaker discharges. These organs are made of electrocytes, modified from muscle cells, and contain proteins such as actin, desmin, and calmodulin, which help regulate voltage.
Electric eels are fascinating creatures that, despite their name, are more closely related to catfish and carp than to true eels. They have impressive electric capabilities and unique adaptations that allow them to thrive in their aquatic environment.
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Electric eels can grow up to 8 feet long
Electric eels are not actually eels at all but are neotropical freshwater fish from South America. They are members of the electroreceptive knifefish order Gymnotiformes, which is more closely related to carp and catfish. They are the largest of the knifefish and can grow to be almost 8 feet (2.5 meters) long and weigh up to 44 lbs (20 kg). They have long, slender bodies that give them the appearance of an eel, but their ability to deliver a high voltage jolt of electricity is uniquely their own.
Electric eels have poor eyesight and live in muddy, dark waters. They emit a weak electric signal, which they use like radar to navigate, find a mate, and locate prey. They can detect the heartbeat of other animals nearby and may also be able to identify other electric eels in the surrounding waters. Once they have located prey, they use a much stronger shock to stun it. They can produce shocks of up to 860 volts, which is more than five times the power of a standard US wall socket.
The electric eel's body is cylindrical towards the front, becoming compressed laterally towards the tail. The elongated, scaleless body is olive to black in color with a yellow or orange-hued throat region. It has an elongated anal fin that runs most of the length of its body and small pectoral fins. The vital internal organs of the eel are compressed into the anterior (front) 1/8 of its body near its head, with the rest of its body being the electricity-producing tail.
Electric eels are not aggressive, and the primary uses of their electric charge are for defense against predators and to stun prey. They are also known to leap out of the water to attack predators. The electricity is generated by a couple of organs made from modified muscle cells, which use a sodium-potassium pump to separate positively charged sodium ions. These cells are stacked into serial and parallel structures that boost the voltage and ampere of the electric discharge.
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They have poor eyesight
Electric eels have poor eyesight. To compensate, they emit a weak electric signal, which they use like a radar to navigate, find a mate, and locate prey. This is known as electrolocation.
Electric eels live in muddy, dark waters, and their poor vision is complemented by their ability to use electrolocation. They are nocturnal, obligate air-breathing animals that feed on smaller fish and amphibians.
Electric eels can grow up to 8 feet (2.5 meters) in length and weigh up to 44 lbs (20 kg). They have long, slender bodies with a flattened, broad head. The body is cylindrical towards the front, becoming laterally compressed towards the tail. The elongated, scaleless body is olive to black in colour, with a yellow or orange-hued throat region.
Electric eels are not true eels but are members of the electroreceptive knifefish order Gymnotiformes, which is more closely related to carp and catfish. They are found in the neotropical freshwater regions of South America, such as the Amazon basin, the Orinoco River, and the Guiana Shield.
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Electric eels can produce shocks of up to 860 volts
Electric eels are not actually eels at all but are members of the electroreceptive knifefish order Gymnotiformes, which is more closely related to carp and catfish. They are neotropical freshwater fish from South America in the family Gymnotidae. They are the largest of the knifefish and can grow to be almost 8 feet (2.5 m) long and weigh up to 44 lbs (20 kg). They have long, slender, scaleless bodies that are olive to black in colour, with a yellow or orange-hued throat region. Their bodies are cylindrical toward the front, becoming compressed laterally toward the tail, and they have an elongated anal fin that runs most of the length of their body and small pectoral fins.
Electric eels are known for their ability to stun their prey by generating electricity, delivering shocks of up to 860 volts. Their electrical capabilities were first studied in 1775, contributing to the invention of the electric battery in 1800. They have organs made of electrocytes, modified from muscle cells, that give them the ability to generate two types of electric organ discharges: low voltage and high voltage. The maximum discharge from the main organ is at least 600 volts, making them the most powerful of all electric fishes. To generate such high voltages, they stack about 6,000 electrocytes in series in their main organ, with 35 such stacks in parallel on each side of the body.
The primary uses of their electric charge are for defence against potential predators and to stun prey. They can also use their electric charge for navigation and social communication, similar to echolocation. They emit a weak electric signal, which they use like radar to navigate, find a mate, and locate prey. Once prey is found, they will use a much stronger shock to stun it, usually smaller fish or amphibians. They can also curl around their prey, holding it near their tails, which act as two electric poles, to double the amount of electricity and thus the shock delivered.
Electric eels are nocturnal and live in muddy, dark waters, with poor eyesight. They are obligate air-breathing fish, absorbing 80% of their required oxygen by taking air in through their mouths, which is later released through the gill slits in the form of bubbles. They will drown if denied access to atmospheric air, but they can survive for several hours out of the water as long as their skin is kept moist.
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Frequently asked questions
Electric eels have long, slender, scaleless bodies that are olive to black in colour, with a yellow or orange-hued throat region. They can grow to be almost 8 feet (2.5 m) long and weigh up to 44 lbs. (20 kg). Despite their name, electric eels are not true eels but are more closely related to knifefish and catfish.
Electric eels have organs made from modified muscle cells that generate electricity. These cells are stacked in serial and parallel structures, which boost the voltage and ampere of the electric discharge.
Electric eels use their electric powers for several purposes, including stunning prey, defence against predators, navigation, and social communication. They also use electricity to locate fast-moving prey, as they have poor eyesight and live in muddy environments.
Electric eels can produce shocks of up to 860 volts, which is more than five times the power of a standard US wall socket. This makes them the most powerful of all electric fishes.
