Electric eel
The Electric Eel Is Not an Eel, they are are a genus , Electrophorus, of neotropical freshwater fish from South America in the family Gymnotidae.
Electric eels come by their name for good reason â depending on the species, they can release an electric shock of up to 860 volts. This defense mechanism is created by three organs found in all three electric eel species: the main organ, the Hunterâs organ, and the Sachâs organ. The strongest electrical discharges are caused by the main and Hunterâs organs working in unison, while the Sachâs organ produces lower voltage electrical charges.
Not only are electric eels capable of delivering a high voltage shock, but they are also known to leap out of the water to attack predators.
During the dry season, female electric eels lay their eggs in a foam nest made of saliva. Males are responsible for building the nest of spit and guarding the eggs until they hatch during the rainy season. An average of 1,200 baby eels will hatch from the well-guarded nest. Electric eels are believed to be fractional spawners that lay three batches of eggs during each spawning cycle.
While they have small gills on the sides of their head, electric eels get most of their oxygen at the waterâs surface. Electric eels obtain around 80% of their oxygen by gulping air with their mouths â an adaptation for the muddy, poorly oxygenated waters in which they live.
Because they have poor eyesight and live in a muddy environment, electric eels have been adapted to use their electric power for another purpose â locating fast-moving prey. A study of the electrical pulses discharged by electric eels revealed that there are three distinctive types. The eels utilize a low voltage pulse for electrolocation; short, high-voltage pulses for hunting; and the highest frequency and intensity pulses when they are in attack mode.
Electric eels use a clever strategy to handle large or challenging prey. They curl around it, holding the prey near their tails â which are essentially two electric poles. At a minimum, this strategy doubles the electricity and thus the amount of shock the prey receives. This behavior is particularly effective because it allows the eels the chance to immobilize and reposition prey so that it can be easily consumed.
While electric eels can reach a body length of up to 8 feet, only 20% of that length contains their vital organs. The eelâs entire posterior, 80% of its body, is electric organs. Even their skin is covered by tuberous and ampullary electroreceptor cells. All of their internal organs are squeezed into the small space near their head.











