Wiktor Wise
Electric eels are elongated, cylindrical, and snake-like in appearance, closely resembling true eels. They can grow up to 8 feet (2.5 meters) in length and have long, slender bodies with flattened heads. Despite their name, electric eels are not true eels but are more closely related to knifefish, catfish, and carp. They are neotropical freshwater fish from South America, particularly the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. Electric eels have poor eyesight but use low-voltage electric signals to navigate and locate prey, giving them a unique and fascinating appearance and set of abilities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Length | 6 to 8 feet (2 to 2.5 meters) or 9 feet (2.75 meters) |
| Weight | 45 pounds (20.4 kg) or almost 50 pounds (22.7 kg) |
| Colour | Dark grey to brown with a yellow-orange underside |
| Fins | Lack pelvic fins and dorsal fins, have a small caudal fin and an elongated anal fin |
| Habitat | Freshwater ecosystems in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in northern South America |
| Diet | Fish, crustaceans, insects, small vertebrates such as amphibians, reptiles, and mammals |
| Vision | Poor |
| Behaviour | Nocturnal, social, form groups known as swarms |
| Electric organs | Three: the main organ, Hunter's organ, and Sachs' organ |
| Electric discharge | Low and high voltage, up to 860 volts |
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What You'll Learn
Electric eels are not true eels
Electric eels are found in the muddy and murky pools and calm stretches of the middle and lower Amazon and Orinoco river basins in South America. They inhabit the quiet, slow-moving waters of oxbow lakes, streams, pools, and flooded forests of these rivers. They can also survive on land for a few hours if their skin is wet enough.
Electric eels have small eyes and poor vision. They are capable of hearing via a Weberian apparatus, which consists of tiny bones connecting the inner ear to the swim bladder. They are also able to electrolocate their prey. Electric eels are obligate air breathers, which means they surface periodically to breathe air. Their mouths are heavily vascularized with folds that increase the surface area, allowing them to breathe air. They also have a frilled mucosa in the buccal cavity that enables gas exchange between the air and blood.
Electric eels have three electric organs—the main electrical organ, the Hunter's organ, and the Sachs' organ—that make up about 80% of their body. These organs contain cells called electrocytes, which create an electrical current of up to 800 volts. The electric charges produced by these organs are used for defense, hunting, communication, and navigation.
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They are closely related to carp and catfish
Despite their name, electric eels are not true eels. They are, in fact, more closely related to carp and catfish. Electric eels are a genus, Electrophorus, of neotropical freshwater fish from South America in the family Gymnotidae, of which they are the only members of the subfamily Electrophorinae. They are members of the electroreceptive knifefish order Gymnotiformes, which is more closely related to catfish and carp than to other eel families.
Electric eels are widely distributed across northern South America, including Brazil, the Guianas, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. They inhabit the quiet, slow-moving waters of oxbow lakes, streams, pools, and flooded forests of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers. They are obligate air-breathers, periodically surfacing for air due to their poorly oxygenated habitats. They also have poor vision, relying on electrolocation to navigate, find prey, and locate mates.
Electric eels are known for their ability to generate powerful electric shocks of up to 860 volts, although some sources state 600 to 650 volts. They possess three specialized electric organs—the main electrical organ, the Hunter's organ, and the Sachs' organ—which make up about 80% of their body. These organs enable them to produce both high- and low-voltage electric discharges, which they use for defence, hunting, communication, and navigation.
Electric eels are top predators, growing up to 8 feet in length and weighing up to 45 pounds. They are mostly nocturnal, feeding primarily on fish. They have long, stout bodies with flattened heads and thick, scaleless skin that is generally dark grey to brown with a yellow-orange underside. Despite their intimidating abilities and appearance, electric eels are not very aggressive animals.
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They inhabit freshwater ecosystems in South America
Electric eels are native to the freshwater ecosystems of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in South America. They are widely distributed across northern South America, including Brazil, the Guianas, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
These fascinating creatures inhabit quiet, slow-moving waters, seeking out the murky pools and calm stretches of middle and lower river basins. They prefer the side channels of these rivers, but they can also be found further inland. The distinct wet and dry seasons in their habitat bring about significant changes in the availability of suitable environments. During the rainy season, the rivers swell, reconnecting lakes and ponds as the forests flood. In contrast, the dry season leaves large groups of fish isolated in the remaining pools and smaller streams.
Electric eels are well-adapted to their environment, particularly the poorly oxygenated waters of the dry season. They are obligate air breathers, periodically surfacing for air due to their heavily vascularized mouths, which allow them to breathe even in warm, anoxic waters. Their ability to generate electricity also aids their survival and hunting in these conditions. They can use weak electric signals to navigate and locate prey, and then deliver a stronger shock of up to 860 volts to stun their prey.
These eels are top predators, with few animals daring to challenge them due to their electric capabilities. They can even leap out of the water to attack predators, sliding their bodies against partially submerged threats to deliver a shock. Despite their power, electric eels are not very aggressive and prefer to use their shocks for hunting and self-defence.
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Electric eels can grow up to 8 feet in length
Electric eels are a genus of 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. Despite their name, electric eels are not closely related to true eels but are members of the knifefish order Gymnotiformes, which is more closely related to catfish and carp. Electric eels are nocturnal, obligate air-breathing animals with poor vision, which is compensated for by their ability to use electricity for electrolocation. They mainly eat fish.
Electric eels can grow to impressive lengths of up to 8 feet (2.5 meters). They are known for their long, stout bodies, being somewhat cylindrical at the front and flattened towards the tail end. Their skin is thick and scaleless, generally dark grey to brown, with a yellow, orange, or red underside. Electric eels have a distinctive appearance with a flattened head and elongated anal fin, which they use to propel themselves through the water. They lack pelvic and dorsal fins, and their caudal fin is reduced in size.
The electric eel's impressive length is due to its unique anatomy. Unlike other fish, electric eels continue to grow throughout their lives, adding more vertebrae to their spinal column. This process allows them to reach remarkable lengths. Male electric eels are typically larger than females, with males becoming reproductively active at a length of around 3 feet 11 inches (1.2 meters).
The size of electric eels is closely linked to their electrical capabilities. Their electric organs, which make up about 80% of their body, are composed of electrocytes that generate powerful electric discharges. The main organ, the Hunter's organ, and Sachs' organ produce both strong and weak electric charges used for various functions, including defence, hunting, communication, and navigation. The ability to generate high-voltage shocks is particularly useful for stunning prey and deterring predators.
The maximum length of 8 feet puts electric eels among the largest freshwater fish in their habitat. Their size, combined with their electrical capabilities, makes them top predators in their environment. Electric eels are abundant throughout their range in northern South America, including Brazil, the Guianas, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. They prefer quiet, slow-moving waters and are well-adapted to their environment, making them a fascinating and distinctive part of the South American freshwater ecosystem.
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They are not very aggressive
Electric eels are not very aggressive and will not attack unless they feel cornered. They are not closely related to true eels but are members of the knifefish order Gymnotiformes, which is more closely related to carp and catfish. They can grow to over 8 feet in length and weigh up to 45 pounds. They are found in the freshwaters of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers of northern South America, seeking out slow-moving, murky waters such as pools, swamps, and oxbow lakes.
Electric eels have very poor eyesight and rely on their electrolocation abilities to navigate through the murky backwaters of these rivers. They are also known as knifefishes due to their long, cylindrical bodies with flattened heads. They are able to generate two types of electric organ discharges: low voltage and high voltage. The low voltage is used for navigation, while the high voltage is used for hunting or defense.
Electric eels are obligate air-breathing animals, which means they surface for air periodically. Their mouths are designed to increase the surface area, allowing them to breathe air instead of using gills to meet their respiration needs in warm, anoxic waters. During the dry season, water levels can get extremely low, leaving electric eels more vulnerable to predators such as jaguars and caimans.
Despite their powerful electric capabilities, electric eels are not known to be aggressive. They use their electric shocks to stun prey and keep predators at bay. It is rare for people to be killed by electric eels, although there have been documented instances of serious injury or death due to drowning or heart failure induced by the shock. The electric eel's shock has even been known to knock a horse off its feet!
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Frequently asked questions
Electric eels have long, slender, snake-like bodies and flattened heads. They can grow up to 8 feet (2.5 meters) in length and weigh almost 50 pounds (22.7 kg).
Electric eels have thick, scaleless skin that is generally dark grey to brown, and their underside is a yellow-orange colour.
Electric eels are native to the freshwater ecosystems of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in South America. They inhabit quiet, slow-moving waters, murky pools, and calm stretches of water.
Despite their name, electric eels are not true eels but are members of the electroreceptive knifefish order Gymnotiformes. They are more closely related to carp and catfish.
