When darkness comes,
electric eels
emerge from South American river bottoms to attack their prey with up to 860 volts of electricity—enough to kill a person. Now, scientists have revealed the
snakelike fish
don’t always go it alone: They hunt in packs , similar to wolves, orcas, and some species of tuna.
What is the most powerful electric eel?
The enormous 2.5 metre eel has been named the Electrophorus voltai after Alessandro Volta, the Italian physicist who invented the battery. The animal, a type of knifefish, can discharge an electric shock reaching as high as 860 volts, the most powerful of any animal known to science.
What are electric eels called in the Amazon?
Shocking news: There are actually three species of electric eel in the Amazon, not one. A mostly nocturnal species found in freshwater habitats in Mexico and South America, the electric eel ( Electrophorus electricus ) belongs to the knifefish family and is more closely related to catfish and carp than other eels.
What is the most shocking electricity in the world?
voltai is capable of delivering a jolt of 860 volts – much more than the 650 volts previously recorded from electric eels – “making it the strongest bioelectricity generator known”.
Has an electric eel ever killed a human?
Human deaths from electric eels are extremely rare However, multiple shocks can cause respiratory or heart failure, and people have been known to drown in shallow water after a stunning jolt.
Do electric fish exist?
Electric eels (Electrophorus electricus) are freshwater fish found in South America They can discharge enough electricity to jolt a human being. Electric eels are sluggish creatures that prefer slow-moving
fresh water
, where they surface every few minutes to gulp air.
Are electric eels AC or DC?
The electric eel, however, emits not a direct current but an alternating current (in pulses), and its charge is depleted after a strong shock.
How many volts is lethal?
Assuming a steady current flow (as opposed to a shock from a capacitor or from static electricity), shocks above 2,700 volts are often fatal, with those above 11,000 volts being usually fatal, though exceptional cases have been noted.
What eats an electric eel?
What eats electric eels? Apart from being fished by humans, electric eels have no known predators They are too dangerous for other species to go after, regardless of water levels. If the water is shallow, there’s a chance that large land mammals will go after them, but this threat is often deterred with a shock.
Are electric eels aggressive?
Although electric eels have the power to be the bullies of the Amazon, they are actually not very aggressive animals The eel uses its shock to stun prey and keep predators at bay. Electric eels are nocturnal, live in muddy, dark waters, and have poor eyesight.
Are all eels blind?
Electric eels live in muddy waters. Mostly blind , they rely on low-level electrical pulses to navigate and explore their surroundings. Higher levels of voltage are generated to stun or kill prey and to protect them from predators.
Can I buy an electric eel?
Electric Eel ( Available only to Public Aquariums or Similar) These eels, actually the largest knifefish in the World that happens to be shaped like an eel, at maximum size will emit 800 Volts. Our largest specimens are sold only to public aquariums.
Can electric eels go on land?
Since electric eels are obligatory air breathers, they must come up for air to survive.
Can American eels shock you?
Electric eels generate their electric shocks much like a battery Like the stacked plates of a battery, the stacked electric cells can generate an electrical shock of 500 volts and 1 ampere. Such a shock would be deadly for an adult human!.
Are there fresh water electric eels?
Unlike true eels, who mostly live in salt water, electric eels are found in fresh waters in South America.
Does UK have electric eels?
Early indications are that the fish seen imported in to the UK are actually E. varii The second new species, Electrophorus varii, was named after American Smithsonian zoologist and ichthyologist Richard P. Varii who died in 2016.
Can you eat electric eels?
Yes, you can eat an electric eel But they are not a good source of food for humans because they are very bony and provide very little sustenence.
How much do electric eels hurt?
The average shock from an electric eel lasts about two-thousandths of a second The pain isn’t searing, unlike, say, sticking your finger in a wall socket, but isn’t pleasant: a brief muscle contraction, then numbness. For scientists who study the animal, the pain comes with the professional territory.
Who discovered electric eels?
David de Santana discovered a small, river-fed lake filled with more than 100 adult electric eels, many of which were upwards of 4 feet long. On its own, this was an intriguing discovery, electric eels—a type of knifefish rather than true eels—were thought to be solitary creatures.
How big can electric eels get?
Its strongest electric pulses are produced by the
main electrical organ
, as well as two-thirds of the Hunter’s organ. The remainder of the Hunter’s organ and the Sachs’ organ produce the
weaker electric discharges
. Electric eels grow to lengths of 6 to 8 feet (2 to 2.5 meters).
What is the longest eel in the world?
The slender giant moray (Strphidon sathete) is the longest eel in the world. Even amongst eels, famous for their elongated bodies, the slender giant moray puts other species to shame. The largest specimen ever recovered measured an incredible 13 feet long.
What animal can detect electricity?
Platypuses, echidnas and bumblebees are extraordinary examples of land animals that can sense electric fields and use them to detect prey or communicate.
What animal produces the most electricity?
Electric eel produces highest voltage discharge of any known animal — ScienceDaily. Follow all of ScienceDaily’s latest research news and top science headlines!.
Which animal gives electric shock?
Strongly electric fish, namely the electric eel, the electric catfishes, the electric rays, and the stargazers , have an electric organ discharge powerful enough to stun prey or be used for defence, and navigation.
What if you fell into a pool of electric eels?
The eel would hope that you make some splashes which would help the eel to find you. Once that happens, and the eel spots you, the eel will release a second electric shock If the shock were to come from a full-sized adult, it would be equal to 600 volts of electricity.
Can an electric eel power a light bulb?
Electric eels can release between 10 to 850 volts, with one big jolt able to light up to a 40-watt DC light bulb.
Why don’t electric eels electrocute themselves?
They reduce the danger to themselves by flexing their bodies in a shape that prevents the electric current from passing through their heart When they are charging up, they stiffen into a line segment very much like a straightedge. This way, the electric current only runs parallel to their tail and behind the heart.
How long do electric eels live?
Electric eels don’t produce shocks to prey. Instead, these electric shocks help them navigate through the water. Electric eels have poor eyesight from birth. An adult electric eel can live for up to 15 years in the wild and 22 years in captivity.
How strong is 600 volts?
At 600 volts, the current through the body may be as great as 4 amps , causing damage to internal organs such as the heart. High voltages also produce burns. In addition, internal blood vessels may clot. Nerves in the area of the contact point may be damaged.
How did electric eels evolve?
ELECTRIC EELS AND THEIR SUPERCHARGED MUSCLES Between 100 and 200 million years ago, some fish began to amplify that potential. They evolved electrocytes from muscle cells , which were organised in sequence and capable of generating much higher voltages than those used to make muscles work.
Do electric eels have teeth?
Like many fish, electric eels lack maxillary (upper) teeth so they rely on pulling prey into their mouths by suction, before swallowing them whole, usually headfirst. Weak discharges (around 10 V) come from the Sach’s organ.
Can you survive 10000 volts?
Dr. Michael S. Morse, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of San Diego, explains that while 10,000 volts can be life threatening in certain circumstances, it’s possible for something to have 10,000 volts behind it and be relatively harmless.
Can I drink milk after electric shock?
You can eat nutritious foods like milk, eggs, berries, fish, nuts, seeds, meat broth, and potato soup which aid with recovery after an electric shock by providing the calories, vitamins, minerals, and protein needed to support the healing process.
What voltage kills a horse?
Abstract. IT is well known to electricians that animals are much more sensitive to electric shock than human beings. Quite low voltages, of the order of 20 volts , are dangerous to cattle and horses.
What is the strongest electric fish?
E. voltai is the species with the most powerful electric output. Biologists tell The Atlantic they aren’t surprised there is more diversity than previously documented among these fish (which aren’t actually eels, but a type of knife fish).
How long can an electric eel shock for after its dead?
They are also known to still emit discharge eight to nine hours after their death. The shock from an electric eel affects the body by altering physiological functions such as involuntary muscle actions and respiration.
Do alligators eat eels?
Its appetite aroused, the gator finally snaps its jaws over the slithery eel, only to be stunned Small eels can carry a charge up to 100 volts while larger breeds can produce between 450 to 650 volts of electricity. It takes barely more than a minute before the gator is stunned beyond capacity to move.
Can sharks eat electric eels?
An XXL shark or above is needed to devour an electric eel without mega gold rush or supersize mode When there are multiple electric eels near the shark at once, they can even kill a !!.
How do electric eels taste?
Many who have tasted eel agree that it is sweet. Despite its dark and snakelike appearance, it makes for a delicious meal. Some eel eaters have compared its taste to salmon or lobster. Others say it is a bit more like octopus meat or catfish.
Can crocodiles be electrocuted?
Tens of thousands of crocodiles are killed in Vietnam every year to supply ‘some of the biggest brands’, according to PETA. Workers in the investigation are seen electrocuting crocodiles and then cutting into their necks and ramming metal rods down their spines while they are still living.
Citations
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/electric-eel-species-found-amazon-most-powerful-ever-voltage-kill-a9100581.html
https://www.science.org/content/article/shocking-discovery-electric-eels-hunt-packs-amazon-rivers
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/09/11/electric-eel-new-amazon-fish-species-has-strongest-ever-shock/2283687001/