Beatrice Lang
Electric fish are a fascinating group of aquatic vertebrates that have evolved the ability to generate electric fields, using them for a variety of purposes such as sensing their surroundings, stunning prey, and even communicating with others of their species. Electric fish are found in both oceanic and freshwater habitats and include both cartilaginous and bony fish. Electric eels, perhaps the most well-known example, are not true eels but rather a type of knifefish that can deliver powerful shocks of up to 860 volts. They are nocturnal hunters with poor vision, relying on their electric senses to navigate and locate prey. Other electric fish include the black ghost knifefish, the Cornish Jack, and various species of catfish, stargazers, and rays. Electric organs have evolved independently multiple times, and while most electric fish are weakly electric, a small minority are capable of delivering powerful shocks.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Family | Gymnotidae |
| Subfamily | Electrophorinae |
| Genus | Electrophorus |
| Species | Electrophorus electricus, Electrophorus voltai, Electrophorus varii |
| Length | Up to 2.5 metres |
| Weight | Up to 22 kilograms |
| Habitat | Streams, swamps, pools |
| Diet | Fish, crabs, insects, amphibians, mammals |
| Vision | Poor |
| Hearing | Yes |
| Nocturnal | Yes |
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What You'll Learn
- Electric eels are nocturnal, air-breathing fish that can stun prey with electricity
- Electric eels are not true eels but are closely related to catfish
- Electric eels were split into three species in 2019
- Electric eels can grow to over 2.5m in length
- Electric eels can leap out of water to attack predators
Electric eels are nocturnal, air-breathing fish that can stun prey with electricity
Electric eels have poor vision, small eyes, and rely on electrolocation to navigate their murky backwater habitats. They surface to breathe air about every two minutes, taking in air through the mouth and holding it in their buccal cavity before expelling it through openings at the sides of the head. This adaptation allows them to survive in low-oxygen environments and on land for several hours if their skin remains wet. Electric eels have three electric organs—the main organ, Hunter's organ, and Sach's organ—that enable them to generate powerful electric shocks of up to 860 volts.
The ability to produce high-voltage, high-frequency pulses allows electric eels to rapidly electrolocate and stun their prey. When the eel identifies prey, its brain sends a nerve signal to the electric organ, triggering an electric organ discharge. This discharge creates an electric current that can stun prey or deter predators. Electric eels may also use their electric shocks to defend themselves against threats, such as jaguars and caiman.
In addition to hunting alone, electric eels sometimes engage in social predation. They work together to herd prey, issuing coordinated electric shocks to stun their prey. Electric eels have been observed hunting in packs, targeting and ambushing schools of fish before stunning and capturing individual prey. They can also curl their bodies around larger or more elusive prey. The electric shocks force involuntary muscle contractions in the prey, making it easier for the eels to manipulate and consume their catch.
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Electric eels are not true eels but are closely related to catfish
Electric eels were historically believed to be true eels due to their eel-shaped bodies, which can reach lengths of up to 9 feet (2.75 meters) and weights of nearly 50 pounds (22.7 kilograms). However, they are now recognised as members of the electroreceptive knifefish order Gymnotiformes, which is more closely related to catfish and carp. This distinction is supported by their genetic and anatomical characteristics, as well as their habitat and behaviour.
The electric eel, or Electrophorus electricus, was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1766 based on field research conducted in South America. In 1864, Theodore Gill reclassified the species into its own genus, Electrophorus, derived from the Greek words for "amber" and "carry," reflecting its ability to carry an electric charge. In 1998, Albert and Campos-da-Paz further refined the classification by placing the genus within the family Gymnotidae.
The diet of electric eels primarily consists of fish, with a particular preference for armoured catfish. They have long, stout bodies that are cylindrical towards the front and flattened near the tail. Electric eels are remarkable for their electricity-generating capabilities, possessing three electric organs composed of electrocytes. These electrocytes create an electric current when the eel senses prey or perceives a threat, delivering a powerful shock that can reach up to 600 volts.
Electric eels are distinct from true eels in several ways. True eels (Anguilliformes) primarily inhabit salt water environments, while electric eels are found in freshwater habitats in South America. Additionally, electric eels are air breathers, requiring them to surface frequently to breathe, whereas true eels can breathe underwater using their gills. These differences highlight the unique characteristics and evolutionary adaptations of electric eels that set them apart from their namesake counterparts.
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Electric eels were split into three species in 2019
Electric eels are a genus of neotropical freshwater fish from South America, belonging to the family Gymnotidae. They are known for their ability to stun prey by generating electricity, delivering shocks of up to 860 volts. Despite their name, they are not closely related to true eels (Anguilliformes) but are, in fact, members of the electroreceptive knifefish order Gymnotiformes, which also includes the black ghost knifefish.
In 2019, Brazilian researcher Carlos David de Santana and his team of scientists discovered that electric eels were not a single species, as had been previously thought for over two centuries, but three distinct species. By comparing 107 specimens from the Amazon basin and museums, they found that the eels clustered into three groups with substantial genetic differences. The three species are: Electrophorus electricus (Linnaeus, 1766), E. voltai, and E. varii. E. varii appears to have diverged from the other two species around 7.1 million years ago during the late Miocene, while E. electricus and E. voltai may have split around 3.6 million years ago during the Pliocene.
The separation of these species was likely caused by the Amazon River. Around 9 million years ago, the river started flowing eastward, and its modern course became entrenched around 2.5 million years ago. This change in the river's direction influenced the habitats of the eels and their use of electricity. For example, E. voltai can discharge up to 860 volts, which is far higher than the commonly cited 650 volts for electric eels. The three species also differ in more subtle physical characteristics, such as the flatness of their heads and the number of pressure-sensitive pores on their flanks.
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Electric eels can grow to over 2.5m in length
Electric eels are a genus of neotropical freshwater fish from South America, known as Electrophorus. They are not closely related to true eels (Anguilliformes) but are, in fact, members of the electroreceptive knifefish order Gymnotiformes. Electric eels are in the family Gymnotidae, of which they are the only members of the subfamily Electrophorinae. They are known for their ability to stun prey by generating electricity, delivering shocks of up to 860 volts.
Electric eels can grow to over 2.5 metres in length and weigh up to 22 kilograms. They have long, stout bodies, somewhat cylindrical at the front, but flattened towards the tail end. The mouth is at the front of the snout and opens upwards. Electric eels have smooth, thick, brown-to-black skin with a yellow or red underbelly and no scales. They have tiny pectoral fins behind their jaws and an anal fin that runs along their underside, allowing them to swim forward, backward, and even hover in the water.
Electric eels are obligate air-breathers, which means they surface for air periodically. They have poor vision, but this is compensated by their electrolocation abilities. They are mostly nocturnal and feed on fish, with some species hunting in packs. Electric eels are known to inhabit quiet, slow-moving waters in northern South America, particularly in the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers.
Electric eels have three electric organs—the main organ, the Hunter's organ, and Sachs' organ—which make up about 80% of their body. These organs help them create electricity, with the main organ being the first to develop, followed by Sachs' organ, and then Hunter's organ. Electric eels are like living batteries, with stacks of modified muscle cells called electrocytes that have both positive and negative sides. When triggered, these cells discharge an electrical impulse.
Electric eels are fascinating creatures that have inspired various scientific explorations, including the invention of the electric battery. They showcase remarkable adaptations for survival, making them a unique part of the diverse South American freshwater ecosystem.
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Electric eels can leap out of water to attack predators
Electric eels are neotropical freshwater fish from South America. They are known for their ability to stun prey by generating electricity, delivering shocks of up to 860 volts. They are not true eels (Anguilliformes) but are members of the knifefish order Gymnotiformes, which also includes the black ghost knifefish and the bluntnose knifefish. Electric eels have three special organs that help them create electricity: the main organ, the Hunter's organ, and the Sach's organ. These organs take up about 80% of the eel's body and allow them to produce electric impulses of different strengths for various functions.
Electric eels are mostly nocturnal and have poor vision. They can survive on land for several hours if their skin is wet enough. They are capable of hearing via a Weberian apparatus, which consists of tiny bones connecting the inner ear to the swim bladder. Electric eels can locate their prey using electroreceptors derived from the lateral line organ in the head, which enables them to sense water movements created by nearby animals. They also use weaker electric impulses to navigate, hunt, and communicate.
Electric eels have been observed leaping out of the water to attack predators with a high-voltage shock. This behaviour was first recounted by naturalist Alexander von Humboldt over 200 years ago, who witnessed native fishermen in Venezuela collecting electric eels by "fishing with horses". The fishermen herded horses into a pool containing electric eels, provoking the eels to attack and exhaust themselves, allowing the fishermen to capture them safely. This account was long considered an exaggeration until it was recently confirmed by scientists.
Kenneth Catania from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, also observed electric eels leaping out of the water and delivering massive shocks to powerful predators. He set up an experiment with a fake alligator head laced with LEDs, which lit up when the eels attacked. Slow-motion video revealed that the eels bent their necks to maintain contact between their electric organs and the threat, progressively electrifying greater portions of the partially submerged target. This lunging strategy allows eels to deliver a powerful jolt of electricity directly to a threat, rather than distributing it through the water.
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Frequently asked questions
Electric night fish, also known as electric eels, are a genus of neotropical freshwater fish from South America. They are known for their ability to stun prey by generating electricity. They are nocturnal, air-breathing animals with poor vision.
Electric night fish, or electric eels, belong to the family Gymnotidae, of which they are the only members of the subfamily Electrophorinae. They are more closely related to catfishes and carp than to true eels (Anguilliformes).
Electric night fish use their electric fields to locate prey. They emit electricity, a form of active electrolocation, to navigate and find prey in murky water or at night. They have poor vision, so they rely on their electric senses to hunt and communicate.
The electric shocks produced by electric night fish can deter predators such as jaguars and caiman. They can leap out of the water and press their positively charged chin against a predator to deliver a shock. Their electricity also helps them ward off other species from their shelter sites.
