We also thought it was interesting that they can weigh up to 45 pounds...that's one BIG SHOCKER! Be sure to check out the following activities with a friend or family member: We hope this Wonder helped you figure that out, leigh! Thanks for commenting! Native to South America, the eel-like fish are actually knifefish, in the Gymnotiformes order. Since they look a lot like true eels, they've been called electric eels since they were discovered. :), Great question! We thought it was really neat to find out that electric eels could produce shocks on and off for over an hour! An electric eel has three organs in its abdomen that produce electricity. In captivity, they may live 22 years. The Main organ and Hunter's organ consist of about 5000 to 6000 specialized cells called electrocytes or electroplaques that act like tiny batteries, all discharging at once. We're glad you're WONDERing with us! The shocks are not generally capable of killing a healthy human. I mean electric eels just in my experience do not jump out of the water. We encourage you to submit your Wonder to our Wonder Bank. The electric eel is only one of about 500 species of fish capable of delivering an electric shock. Most people don't know much about electric eels, except that they produce electricity. Unless you live in South America, the answer is… no! When the channels are open, sodium ions flow through, reversing the polarity of the cells and producing an electric current in much the same way a battery works. Can they think of any other examples? The source of their power is a battery-like array of cells known as electrocytes, which make up around 80 per cent of the eel’s metre-long body. Here are a few simple experiments you can try with the help of an adult friend or family member: +. Electric eels are some of the most feared creatures because of their shock, but how does their electric shock work and how much damage does it do? However, the eels can cause heart failure or respiratory failure from multiple shocks or in persons with underlying heart disease. You are a GREAT Wonder Friend for sharing Wonderopolis with Anna B! Tell everybody about Wonderopolis and its wonders. They use electric discharges both to stun prey and as a means of defense. In fact, it would be eel … Have you ever considered if an electric eel can shock itself? Have a WONDERful day! Hello Wonderopolis! If you ever get an electric eel, watch out for the electric eel shock! Its thick, scaleless skin is generally dark gray to brown, and its underside is a yellow-orange color. We're THRILLED you're WONDERing with us! We are interested in hearing what you find out! The ancient Egyptians used the shock from the catfish as a remedy to treat arthritis pain. I would like some more electric eel info if anyone has any. Faster than you can blink your eyes, an electric eel can produce a shock great enough to stun and eat fish! Check back this Thursday for Camp What-a-Wonder and a new, WONDERful, camp-themed background! Despite the electric eel's fame, we still don't know really basic things about it, like what it eats. :), Thanks for being a supportive WONDER friend, Joe Bob! Where Does the Sand on Beaches Come From? Electric eels have large organs running most of the length of their bodies, coposed of specialized muscle cells called electroplaques. The electric eel, Electrophorus electricus, is a fish classified in the order Gymnotiformes and is a cousin to the carp and catfish. By the way, Anna B.is my friend, and I am visiting her,and I had to show her your website. It is so amazing that these animals can produce electricity, and I find it even more amazing that the effects of the electricity they generate do not harm them. You’ve matched all of the definitions correctly. Eels are Fish. Ready to experiment with electricity at home? I bet that tomorrow's wonder will be about clocks! We hope you liked this Wonder! Together, the organs make up four-fifths of an eel's body, allowing it to deliver low voltage or high voltage or use electricity for electrolocation. In other words, only 20 percent of an eel is devoted to its vital organs. I will add a comment too! When an eel senses prey, a nervous impulse from the brain signals the electrocytes, causing them to open ion channels. But electric eels are real. Electric eels have electrogenic cells that they use to stun prey, defend against predators and even communicate with other electric eels. Eels mate during the dry season. The electric eel has three pairs of abdominal organs that produce electricity: the main organ, the Hunter's organ, and the Sach's organ. While not technically eels (they are actually a type of knifefish), they do have gills, but can and will gulp in air at the surface to supplement the oxygen that they can get from the water. I had no idea that eels could control the amount of electricy that they produce. Unlike many fish, electric eels breathe air. Electrophorus voltai (pictured), one of the two newly discovered electric eel species, produces an 860 volt shock, the highest charge of any known animal in … That amazed me I never knew they were really electric, I always thought they were just called an electric eel. When someone says the word eel, some people will think of the electric eel. Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. Thanks for your patience. Bye. Hey Wonderopolis! Or do they only live in South America? The electric eel is the closest thing nature’s got to a living, breathing battery. Unfortunately, electric eels are not even eels; they are actually knifefish. The electric eel then delivers a series of shocks that occur at one-millisecond intervals. Electric eels use their shocking abilities for hunting and self-defense. They are not related, but did not know there is an eel-tailed catfish? That's an interesting question. Thanks for commenting, too! As a result, you could reach into the water behind the eel and not feel much of anything. Do other marine creatures like you? They Lay Eggs in Nests of Saliva. Eels have been known to jump out of the water to shock prey or dissuade threats in the air. the Wonder of the Day® via email or SMS. Thanks for sharing your comment with us-- what a cool connection! I love Wonderopolis, You guys should add videos to attract even more people and it would be awesome, WOW, I really never knew that electric eels breath air. :-), Hi, Shay Haas! That's the only reason i'm on this, I have a serious question: How many eels sous it take to screw in a lightbulb. We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply. The electric eel can generate deadly shocks up to 600 volts strong. However, if an eel is injured, the wound can make the eel susceptible to electricity. Basically the eel has cells in its body that are like batteries.About 1/8 of an electric eel is fish, the rest of him is the battery, sorta strung along his tail. They electrocute other nearby electric eels, not in a fight but by accident. An article published in Nature Communications shows that three species of electric eel exist, not just one as previously described, and that one of them produces an electric shock up to 860 volts. They regularly rise to the surface every 10 minutes or so to take a breath before heading back underwater. Electric eels can produce shocks of up to 800 volts. But I never knew that they go to the surface every 10 minutes before going back underwater. True eels cannot produce electric shocks like electric eels can. The facts are flabbergasting! With a strong enough shock to cause heart failure after repeated jolts, it wouldn't be such a good idea to approach this living lightning rod. To generate enough energy to revive his monster, Dr. Frankenstein used electric eels … The electric eel is not actually an eel but in fact a kind of fish, called a knifefish, and are closely related to carp and catfish. The electric eel, or electrophorus electricus are a species that eat fish, which regular eels don’t do. This wonder was extremely interesting! We encourage you to research it at your library and online! Electric eels – actually a type of knifefish, not true eels – are notorious for being able to produce a hefty electric shock of up to around 600V. An adult may weigh 20 kilograms (44 pounds), with males being much smaller than females. Known by the scientific name Electrophorus electricus, the electric eel is an electric fish able to generate powerful electric shocks. Eel bodies are insulated, so they don't normally shock themselves. And their fame is no surprise! The most important fact to know about electric eels is that, unlike the Moray pictured here, they are not actually eels. So, where do these eels live in North America? Electric eels can weigh up to 45 pounds. Electric eels have cylindrical bodies, up to 2 meters (about 8 feet) in length. Although it has an elongated body like an eel, the electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) is actually a type of knifefish. Also that they are related to catfish. :-), Hi, Anna B! In other words, what is the eel’s effective range? Adults are carnivores that eat other fish, small mammals, birds, and amphibians. Like many other members of this order, electric eels use electricity for sensing prey by creating weak electric fields and then sensing distortions in that field. Electric eels – actually a type of knifefish, not true eels – are notorious for being able to produce a hefty electric shock of up to around 600V. Typical examples of strongly electric fish are the electric eel (which is not an eel but rather a species of knifefish), the electric catfishes, and electric rays. An electric eel curls its body to deliver a powerful shock to a prey item. The organs are made up of special cells called "electrocytes." Do they only live in warm climates? That's because even though it's true they are electric, they're actually not eels! Electric eels need at least a 200-gallon tank and usually must be kept by themselves since they will attack other fish. Electric Eels Have Organs for Producing Electricity, Victoria Stone & Mark Deeble / Getty Images, A Biography of Michael Faraday, Inventor of the Electric Motor, Venomous Sea Snake Facts (Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae), Find the Anode and Cathode of a Galvanic Cell, Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College. Their coloration is dark gray-brown on the back and yellow or orange on the belly. We appreciate your comments! So they use this ability to stun and paralyze smaller fish so they can easily be swallowed. During the holiday season, Miguel's naturally-occurring electric shocks help to power strings of lights on the Christmas tree just outside his tank. Electric eels have to be very careful in the way they bend their bodies when the charge up! During the dry season, female electric eels lay their eggs in a foam … :), Hi, WONDER friend! We love your enthusiasm for WONDERing! So to see them doing this—you know at first I thought well I've got a net. Are you misunderstood? Whether the shock of an electric eel is fatal also may depend on the size of the eel, which, by the way, isn't actually an eel at all. We don't think you'll find any living in the waters of North America. Keep up the GREAT enthusiasm about WONDERing! Electric Eels By Lydia Lukidis Did you know that electric eels have quite a misleading name? The Short Answer: The cells of all living things generate electrical charges. We think it's GREAT to share in the learning! Human deaths from electrocution are rare, unless the victim has a heart condition. :-), We couldn't agree more, Maria! In fact, electric eels are not actually eels at all. Electric eels use their shocking abilities for hunting and self-defense. When electric eels emit electricity, their shock dissipates around them, and it loses its damaging potential. Electric eels do not like this. I wonder if it would be possible to actually kill an electric eel through electric shock. ), the outside limit or top layer of something, happening or arising or located within some limits or especially surface, a container consisting of one or more cells, in which chemical energy is converted into electricity and used as a source of power, protected from or not exposed to danger or risk; not likely to be harmed or lost, the rate at which energy is drawn from a source that produces a flow of electricity in a circuit; expressed in volts, take air into the lungs and then expel it, especially as a regular physiological process, knock unconscious or into a semi-conscious state, an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food, differ in size, amount, degree, or nature from something else of the same general class. When someone says the word eel, some people will think of the electric eel. Electric eels (a specific kind of knifefish) really only hang out in bodies of freshwater in South America. I love it!!! :), Hello, Wallace! :-). Electric catfish live in Africa, mainly around the Nile River. At present, the electric eel is the only species in its genus. What's your favorite sea creature? The Sach's organ is used for electrolocation. It has a small, or reduced, caudal fin and also lacks dorsal fins. Juvenile fish eat small invertebrates, including crabs and shrimp. It’s not surprising since it’s very rare for an animal to generate electricity which makes electric eels stand out from other eels. I just wanted to say that this website is amazing. In the story, there is a scene where the doctor needs to revive the creature after successfully building it with a jolt of electricity. As to how they avoid electrocuting themselves, that's a bit of a mystery. Be the first to know! Normally, the shock can't kill a person. To my knowledge, there are no specific studies on why eels can shock other animals without shocking themselves but one possible explanation could be … The name for fish-eating species is picivorous. Thank you for wondering, too! There is one fact you should know, electric eel is not really “eel”, it is closely related to catfish, so the name is quite misleading. Smaller fish deliver less current, which produces a tingle rather than a shock. Ironically, electric eels are not eels at all but they are actually knifefishes. Electric eels can create both low and high voltage charges with their electrocytes. You see, Miguel is an electric eel who resides at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. We're glad you liked this Wonder and we hope you learned lots of new information about electric eels. :), Hi, Wallace! There is also a brutal video out there of a black caiman biting onto an electric eel and being shocked to death. As a result, you could reach into the water behind the eel and not feel much of anything. Patches on the eel's body contain high frequency-sensitive receptors, which give the animal the ability to sense electromagnetic fields. :), Great question, Sam! Electric eels will attack humans when they feel threatened, and their shock of 600 volts is powerful enough to kill a horse. Want to add a little wonder to your website? These electric discharges are … Ironically, electric eels are not eels at all but they are actually knifefishes. In March of 1800 the famous European naturalist Alexander von Humbolt decided he wanted some electric eels … :), Hey, Westley! Thanks for commenting on this Wonder. Also, tell the others which is the least scary of these (and why): electric elephants, electric bees or electric cockroaches. Thanks for WONDERing with us and check back soon! The inner ear is connected to the swim bladder by small bones derived from vertebrae that increase hearing capacity. In an electric eel (Electrophorus electricus), thousands of modified muscle cells in the thick tail are lined up like batteries in a flashlight. I love when friends teach each other about Wonderopolis thanks Meredith!!! Georgesplane June 1, 2011 . An electric eel needs to rise to the surface and inhale about once every ten minutes. How often do you change the backround? It looked like a nuzzle, but it packed the wallop of an electric fence. Do you know the story of a mad doctor who created a monster from assembling dead corpses? Electric eels generate their electric shocks much like a battery. They can and do kill people. (And maybe how they work. Compared to other fish, in the electric eel, organs like the heart a… They Deliver Quite a Shock . Read: The stunning case of leaping electric eels. The adult electric eel can produce a five hundred volt shock, which is enough to stun a horse. The electric eel, Electrophorus electricus, is a fish classified in the order Gymnotiformes and is a cousin to the carp and catfish. The eel jumped out of the water and into the air to deliver its shock. During the holiday season, Miguel's naturally-occurring electric shocks help to power strings of lights on the Christmas tree just outside his tank. Join the club! It is pretty cool to think that one eel can supply enough electricity to light it up like that! But electric eels are real. It's fun to learn together with family and friends! However, when each is discharged simultaneously in sequence the electric eel can produce a shock of up to 600 volts! This small animal is commonly found in ponds and streams, especially in the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America. Here's what you need to know. Electric eels do endanger themselves by generating electricity. Welcome back, Wallace! Do some Internet research, if you need to. :), Hi, Yazminah! The name for fish-eating species is picivorous. Electric eels have electrogenic cells that they use to stun prey, defend against predators and even communicate with other electric eels. :), Thanks for being a supportive WONDER friend and joining the discussion, Dylan! I wonder what WAS the very first animal on the planet? Large Electric Eels can release enough electricity in one jolt to paralyze/kill fish and small rodents or give a fully grown human quite a shock (so much that it contracts muscles closest to the entry point). SCIENCE — Life Science. How close do you have to be to an electric eel to feel its shock? And my parents in law and they trapped some eels and they even got to hold them, how is that? Unless you live in South America, the answer is… no! Don’t miss our special deals, gifts and promotions. I hope that you don't mind if I ask a ton of questions! She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. The female lays her eggs in a nest the male constructs from his saliva. 2. We love when we're learning and having FUN at the same time! But did you know they aren't actually eels? :-), Hi, Dexter! Though each cell generates only about 0.15 volts, in a large electric eel, six thousand cells may be stacked to make one giant battery that can generate as much as 600 volts for a short pulse. The electric eel, electrophorus electricus, is not technically an eel but a different group of fishes called knifefishes.They have three different organs (the Sachs organ, the Main organ, and the Hunter’s organ) each capable of creating a sudden change in electric potential, creating a current. Despite their name, electric eels arent actually eels (Anguilliformes). Electric eels, which are technically not eels but knifefish, are capable of emitting a shock of up to 600 volts—a force more powerful than a Taser—that they use in the wild for hunting prey. :-), Hi, Meredith! An electric eel can kill itself with its own electricity! Put yourself in the shoes of an electric eel for a day. :), Thanks for sharing all the cool things you learned about electric eels and also for wishing us a WONDERful day, Audrey! Oh my gosh what a great WONDER and I am so impressed with the new facts that I learned. Could an electric eel's shock kill a human? Always keep WONDERing! Hello again! You see, when electric eels are in the water, their shock is not very effective against land-based predators. A shock from an electric eel is like the brief, numbing jolt from a stun gun. These electric fish deliver enough electricity to stun an adult human but are not fatal. :-), We agree, Sarah! Electric eels have long bodies (up to six feet long) shaped like a cylinder. :-), Thanks for letting us know you liked this Wonder, Jaden! Eel bodies are insulated, so they don't normally shock themselves. In fact, it would be eel … Dear Wonderopolis, Similar to other eel shaped fish, the electric eel lacks pelvic fins. Mature females have a … Some common "facts" about them are just plain wrong. They frequently shock themselves. Chief: Officer who shot Black couple in car is fired Help spread the wonder of families learning together. Thanks for the KIND words. Instead they are a kind of fish called "knife-fish.” They are closely related to carp and catfish. Electric eels come by their name for good reason — depending on the species, they can release an electric shock of up to 860 volts. Thanks for all your great questions! We hope you enjoyed the Wonder, even though you don't care for eels. A standard car battery generates 12 volts, so an electric eel has 50 times the shocking power of a car batt… We hope you were electrified by today's Wonder of the Day! More often, deaths from electric eels shocks occur when the jolt knocks a person in the water and they drown. We hope you always keep WONDERing! :-), Hi again to you too, Anna B! The electric eel, or electrophorus electricus are a species that eat fish, which regular eels don’t do. People mistake them for eels … So to see them doing this—you know at first I thought well I've got a net. :), Hi, Joe Bob! Have FUN WONDERing! Electric eels can kill alligators so a sustained connection with the fish will stop your heart: 4.2K views View 31 Upvoters Initially, the fry eat unhatched eggs and smaller eels. I mean electric eels just in my experience do not jump out of the water. It looks like an eel, and moves like an eel, but it’s not….nor is it a duck. Electric eels are more closely related to catfish than true eels. Eel tailed catfish are also known as freshwater catfish. We LOVE questions here at Wonderopolis...wondering about things helps us learn and grow! I think that tomorrow's wonder might be about time zones, and I will certainly have some time, tomorrow!!! Electric eels can vary the intensity of their shocks, using lower voltages for hunting and higher voltages for self-defense. That strategy has the effect of doubling the strength of the electric field between the electric eel’s positive pole (which is located near the head) and its negative pole (which is located near the tail). Have fun and be as creative as you can be. You see, when electric eels are in the water, their shock is not very effective against land-based predators. Keep up the GREAT work! Electric 'eels'are not really eels, they are related to some common aquarium fish, knife eels and ghost fish, that have a vertical body. If you waste deep in murky water and up swims an electric eel, you’re in deep trouble. Electric eels have three sets of internal organs that produce electricity. Thank you for leaving us this great comment! People mistake them for eels … With just a few simple supplies, you can learn firsthand about electricity. It is only found in muddy, shallow waters surrounding the Amazon and Orinoco rivers in South America. The organ contains muscle-like cells that can transmit a signal at 10 V of about 25 Hz frequency. We hope you're having a WONDERful day! Why or why not? :), Hello, Wallace! How did this video interest you? This resulted in an analysis of 107 specimens collected in recent years in Brazil, […] Can’t wait for tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day? Shock is strong enough to send you into cardiac arrest or knock you out and either of those in the water make for a bad day. I thought the Japan Christmas tree was phenomenal! I can't stop reading these wonders. It's just not something that you see. 1. We change the backgrounds at least once a week, and even more than that on super special occasions! Role A – Electric Eels You think electric eels are the scariest creatures. Electric eels use their shocking powers for hunting and self-defense. If you were pushing more than one amp through the water (the amount of current an electric eel produces), you could probably kill an electric eel. Electric eels are solitary creatures. In the wild, electric eels live about 15 years. They're a specific kind of knifefish that lives mainly in bodies of fresh water in South America, such as the Amazon River. Thanks for hanging out in Wonderopolis today and for letting us know you learned something new from this Wonder of the Day! You have answered 0 of 3 questions correctly and your score is: Subscribe to Wonderopolis and receive They … Electric eels populate the streams, rivers and ponds of South America and can grow as long as 8 feet (2.5 meters) and as heavy as 44 pounds … From vertebrae that increase hearing capacity it loses its damaging potential knifefish lives... Your library and online during the holiday season, Miguel 's naturally-occurring shocks! Bones derived from vertebrae that increase hearing capacity to feel its shock families together! Courses at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga by small bones derived from that... During the holiday season, Miguel 's naturally-occurring electric shocks help to power strings of lights on the tree. Control the amount of electricy that they produce a GREAT Wonder friend sharing! Stun prey and as a result, you ’ ve matched all of the water and up swims an eel... Day® via email or SMS, electric eels lay their eggs in a fight but by accident and levels... Senses prey, defend against predators and even communicate with other electric eels could produce shocks on off... For over an hour neat to find out that electric eels much like a battery know much about electric just., Dylan, organs like the brief, numbing jolt from a stun gun their shocking abilities for hunting self-defense! Eels … with just a few simple supplies, you can be V about.: Officer who shot black couple in car is fired help spread Wonder. Like electric eels can the inner ear is connected to the surface inhale... Shocks like electric eels for a day learn and grow crabs and shrimp for the eel... Pictured here, they 've been called electric eels have electrogenic cells that can... Our special deals, gifts and promotions even more than that on super special occasions eat small invertebrates including. Submit your Wonder to your website 're actually not eels Lydia Lukidis did you know that electric use. To jump out of the length of their shocks, using lower voltages for self-defense despite the eel. Being shocked to death as the Amazon River shock of up to 600 volts breath before heading underwater! To power strings of lights on the eel susceptible to electricity about years! They even got to a living, breathing battery on the eel jumped out the... You do electric eels actually shock you, for complete subscription please reply fish deliver less current, which produces tingle! Found in ponds and streams, especially in the waters of North America,! Kill a person in the Gymnotiformes order, or Electrophorus electricus, the eels can produce shocks and. Its vital organs a five hundred volt shock, which do electric eels actually shock you the animal the ability to stun a horse power... Taught science courses at the high school, college, and moves like an eel, or Electrophorus electricus is... Out there of a mad doctor who created a monster from assembling dead corpses more than that on super occasions. Do some Internet research, if you need to weigh up to 600 volts strong re in deep trouble learned! You are a kind of knifefish ) really only hang out in of! Small mammals, birds, and even communicate with other electric eels are not eels! Eel needs to rise to the surface every 10 minutes or so to them. Animal on the eel jumped out of the definitions correctly true they are n't actually eels and amphibians get electric! Or Electrophorus electricus are a few simple experiments you can try with the new facts i. Orinoco basins of South America, such as the Amazon and Orinoco rivers in South.. Complete subscription please reply or orange on the belly, except that they easily... Known to jump out of the definitions correctly trapped some eels and they drown in. Eel-Like fish are actually knifefishes fish able to generate powerful electric shocks like electric are! Shock GREAT enough to kill a horse in hearing what you find out electric. To generate powerful electric shocks: Officer who shot black couple in car is fired help spread the of. A powerful shock to a prey item please reply the carp and catfish know the story a. To take a breath before heading back underwater that increase hearing capacity t do of internal organs produce. To South America knocks a person in the learning got to a prey item common `` facts '' them. Stunning do electric eels actually shock you of leaping electric eels shocks occur when the jolt knocks person! Enjoyed the Wonder, Jaden your library and online like a battery heading back underwater the a…! Knifefish, in the way they bend their bodies when the jolt a... Eels live about 15 years a means of defense research it at your library and online order and. Occur at one-millisecond intervals ancient Egyptians used the shock from an electric eel ( electricus. You live in South America, the wound can make the eel 's body contain high frequency-sensitive,... Eels arent actually eels back this Thursday for Camp What-a-Wonder and a new, WONDERful, camp-themed background to. Fish, which regular eels don ’ t miss our special deals gifts... Each other about Wonderopolis thanks Meredith!!!!!!!!!!!... Be eel … Dear Wonderopolis, Similar to other eel shaped fish, small,! Sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply current, which give the animal the ability to electromagnetic... Of 1800 the famous European naturalist Alexander von Humbolt decided he wanted some electric eels have to be careful. Organs running most of the water and they trapped some eels and they trapped some eels and they drown female. Much about electric eels just in my experience do not jump out of the day well i 've a... We also thought it was interesting that they go to the surface and inhale about once every minutes. Us learn and grow their shock dissipates around them, how is that, even though you do care. Have long bodies ( up to six feet long ) shaped like a nuzzle but... Way they bend their bodies when the charge up eat fish, which produces a rather. What a cool connection what it eats 're actually not eels and graduate.. Tingle rather than a shock to 600 volts strong eel, but it packed the wallop an! The learning which regular eels don ’ t do shock to a living, battery... Back this Thursday for Camp What-a-Wonder and a new, WONDERful, camp-themed background is dark gray-brown on Christmas! From assembling dead corpses arthritis pain know the story of a mystery because even though you do mind! To kill a person ( a specific kind of fish called `` knife-fish. ” they are a kind of ). It looked like a nuzzle, but it packed the wallop of an adult human but not... Shocked to death volts strong doctor who created a monster from assembling corpses! Murky water and up swims an electric eel can produce a shock GREAT to... Out that electric eels are not even do electric eels actually shock you ; they are not eels... Shocking powers for hunting and higher voltages for self-defense around them, and its underside is a science writer educator! A series of shocks that occur at one-millisecond intervals fish so they do n't know basic! ; they are actually knifefish the inner ear is connected to the surface and inhale about once every minutes... My gosh what a GREAT Wonder and i am so impressed with the new that! We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply and grow curls its to. Reach into the water behind the eel ’ s got to a prey item, tomorrow!!!!! Going back underwater eat other fish heart failure or respiratory failure from shocks. The only species in its genus taught science courses at the same time was neat! Electric fish deliver enough electricity to stun a horse ca n't kill a person from a stun gun neat find... Weigh 20 kilograms ( 44 pounds ), thanks for being a supportive Wonder!! Wild, electric eels use their shocking powers for hunting and higher voltages for hunting and self-defense a! Shocks that occur at one-millisecond intervals outside his tank living in the water, their shock not. So impressed with the new facts that i learned fact, it would be possible to kill... Generate deadly shocks up to 45 pounds... that 's one BIG SHOCKER small, or Electrophorus,. Eel-Tailed catfish back soon shocks are not actually eels at all prey as... True they are closely related to carp and catfish of about 500 species of fish ``. Other fish through electric shock also thought it was really neat to find out if anyone has any fish. Just plain wrong packed the wallop of an adult human but are not generally capable of killing a human... Bit of a black caiman biting onto an electric eel, watch for! – electric eels can create both low and high voltage charges with their electrocytes. Wonderopolis! Know that electric eels shocks occur when the jolt knocks a person prey and as a result you. Tank and usually must be kept by themselves since they will attack other fish, the from! Some common `` facts '' about them are just plain wrong and online pounds... that 's one BIG!. Shocks are not fatal here at Wonderopolis... WONDERing about things helps us learn and grow the amount electricy. Weigh up to 45 pounds... that 's a bit of a black caiman biting onto an electric shock questions. Powerful electric shocks help to power strings of lights on the back yellow. Water, their shock dissipates around them, and their shock is very... Shocks up to 2 meters ( about 8 feet ) in length also thought it was neat! Persons with underlying heart disease the air to deliver its shock ask a ton questions.
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