Electric Eels (Electrophorus electricus) aren't actually eels at all - they belong to the order Gymnotiformes and are a species of knifefish. They use their strong electrical discharges for stunning prey and in defense. The charge that these fish can generate is not trivial one source indicated that it can be as strong as 600 volts. These animals generate their charge by way of specialized disk-shaped cells called electrocytes. Thousands of electrocytes form three electric organs within the fish. The electrocytes store power like a battery. When the electric eel needs to shock something (like a potential predator or a prey item) each electrocyte can discharge its electrical charge at the same time. A quote from an article covering a researcher studying the electrical discharge of these fish (link in comments), It's impressive that a little eel could deliver that much electricity, Catania said in a statement. These shocks were nearly ten times as powerful as a taser, and electric | |
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