Erzsebet Frey

Scientific name: Electrophorus electricus  
Scientific classification:  
Phylum: Chordata  
Class: Actinopterygii  
Order: Gymnotiformes  
Family: Gymnotidae

The adult electric eel is an elongated, snake-like animal that reaches
2.5 m in length and 20 kg in weight. Due to their serpentine shape, they
lack caudal, pectoral, and dorsal fins; the anal fin is well-formed and
extends almost the entire length of the body. The entire body is
cylindrical, with a flattened head and a large mouth. This fish's skin
varies from gray to brown/black with a white/yellow patch under the chin
and throat. The electric eel is not quite an eel; In fact, it is a type
of knifefish.

The electric eel is native to the rivers and lakes of northern South
America. They are terrestrial creatures that hide in the mud and rocks
of rivers and swamps, usually in very shady areas. At first glance,
there seems to be very little special about this
[fish](https://simplyecologist.com/fish-with-horns/), and yet, as the
name suggests, the electric eel has some amazing adaptations.

The eel's vital organs are all located in the front part of the animal
and take up only about 20 percent of the fish's internal volume,
considerably less than other fish. It has three distinct groups of
modified muscles that have long ceased to contract for movement.

The electric eel' breathes air, getting about 80% of its oxygen from the
air. Air-breathing allows fish to live in waters where there is very
little dissolved oxygen.

The cells of the main electrical organ of the fish form 5,000 to 6,000
disks stacked like plates. The small electrical impulses generated by
each of these plates are harnessed and channeled to create a stream of
electrical energy that the fish uses in various ways. The electricity
generated by the fish is very weak and is generated as a pulsed signal
by the organ of Sachs.

Aside from navigation and foraging, the electric field can be maximized
by other triggers, when the eel is in danger or anticipates the approach
of a nutritious snack. In a burst of short, sharp discharges, the eel
can generate 650 volts with a current of 1 ampere. This pulsed wave of
electricity penetrates the water and is powerful enough to
[kill](https://simplyecologist.com/which-animal-kills-humans-the-most/)
a human or even a horse from a distance of 6m.

Fish need a lot of energy to generate these high voltages, but they can
do so intermittently for at least an hour to maintain the strength of
each shock.

The ability to generate, store and use electricity is not unique to the
electric eel. Many other fish shares this ability. The only species
capable of generating tension even partially comparable to the electric
eel are the African electric catfish and torpedo rays, of which there
are 69 species.

There are many electric fish such as star watchers,
[elephant](https://simplyecologist.com/which-animal-kills-humans-the-most/)
noses, many species of knife fish, and rays. In all but the electric
eel, electric catfish, and torpedo ray, electricity is used to find food
or navigate. Electricity generation is relatively rare in marine fish,
but more common in freshwater species that live in murky waters.

The only known mammal with an electrical sense is the platypus. Like
many other electric fish, the electric eel is nocturnal. It will hunt
anything small enough at night to be sucked into its wide jaws.

The electric eel is also unusual for its reproductive
[behavior](https://simplyecologist.com/what-is-the-behavior-of-red-pandas-in-the-wild/).
In the dry season, a male eel uses its saliva to build a nest in which
the female lays her
[eggs](https://simplyecologist.com/how-many-eggs-do-bluefin-tuna-lay/).
Up to 17,000 young hatches from the eggs in one nest.

The powers of electric fish are hard to overlook and have been known
since ancient times. The ancient Romans stood in a shallow bath with a
torpedo and killed themselves to relieve gout symptoms.

Electric eels have always been high on the list of brave (or foolish)
zoo collectors. Some unfortunate horses or mules were herded into a pool
of water inhabited by several fish, where they took enough beatings to
at least knock them out. The fish's batteries would eventually
[run](https://simplyecologist.com/how-long-can-cheetah-run/) out,
allowing collectors to come up with strong nets and boots.


Scientific name: Electrophorus electricus Scientific classification: Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Gymnotiformes Family: Gymnotidae The adult electric eel is an elongated, snake-like animal that reaches 2.5 m in length and 20 kg in weight. Due to their serpentine shape, they lack caudal, pectoral, and dorsal fins; the anal fin is well-formed and extends almost the entire length of the body.

Postagens de Rogue Scholar

How does electric eel work?