Their scientific name is Electrophorus electricus, and they belong with the classification closer to catfish and carp. There are several physiological differences among the three electric organs, which allow them to have very different functions. These organs are made of electrocytes, lined up so a current of ions can flow through them and stacked so each one adds to a potential difference. Type: Fish. Appearance Edit. There are, it should be noted, a wide variety of "electric fish," that have been encountered by many cultures, beyond the South American electric eel (such as electric catfish in Egypt and China, and electric rays in the Mediterranean). Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. The electric eel also possesses high frequency–sensitive tuberous receptors, which are distributed in patches over its body. They are dark grey in color. This is what the world is for. Mature females have a darker color on the abdomen. The scientific name of electric eel is electrophorus electricus. This means of propulsion allows them to move backwards as easily as they move forward. [7], Electric eels inhabit fresh waters of the Amazon and Orinoco River basins in South America, in floodplains, swamps, creeks, small rivers, and coastal plains. As air-breathers, they must come to the surface frequently. They can vary the intensity of the electric discharge, using lower discharges for hunting and higher intensities for stunning prey or defending themselves. Origin [edit | edit source] South America: Amazon and Orinoco River basins, and related areas in northern South America. Electric eels can grow up to eight feet long. These famous freshwater predators get their name from the enormous electrical charge they can generate to stun prey and dissuade predators. National Institute of Standards and Technology, "Unexpected species diversity in electric eels with a description of the strongest living bioelectricity generator", "The cytoskeleton of the electric tissue of Electrophorus electricus, L.", "Designing artificial cells to harness the biological ion concentration gradient", "Electric eels remote-control nervous systems of prey", "A tail of two voltages: Proteomic comparison of the three electric organs of the electric eel", "Na+/K+-ATPase α-subunit (nkaα) isoforms and their mRNA expression levels, overall Nkaα protein abundance, and kinetic properties of Nka in the skeletal muscle and three electric organs of the electric eel, Electrophorus electricus", "Electric Eels Concentrate Their Electric Field to Induce Involuntary Fatigue in Struggling Prey", "Cloning and expression of acetylcholinesterase from Electrophorus. However, they are the only member of their order that capable to generate potentially lethal discharges (up … The Tennessee Aquarium in the United States is home to an electric eel. The Electric Eel is a fascinating creature, and one that allows electric currents to be able to be generated. Their bodies contain electric organs with about 6,000 specialized cells called electrocytes that store power like tiny batteries. Splicing pattern of the 3' exons in vivo and in transfected mammalian cells", "Experimental Researches in Electricity, Fifteenth Series", "Electric Eels Hunt in Packs, Shocking Prey and Scientists", "Snap, crackle, tweet: Tennessee Tech helps aquarium's electric eel make splash on social media", "Checklist of Gymnotiformes (Osteichthyes: Ostariophysi) and catalogue of primary types". Group Name: Swarm. The electric eel gets its name from its shocking abilities! The electric eel is not a real eel, but a knife fish related to carp and catfish, a member of the Gymnotiformes team and the genus Electrophorus. BY K.Dinesh kumaar 2. Size: 6 … Shock me like an electric eel. Their scientific classification is closer to carp and catfish. Artificial versions of the eel's electricity-generating cells could be developed as a power source for medical implants and other microscopic devices. New York, N.Y. 346 (6214): 1231–4. Bastos, D.A., Zuanon, J., Py-Daniel, L.C., and de Santana, C.D., (January 2021), "Social Predation in Electric Eels", "Leaping eels electrify threats, supporting Humboldt's account of a battle with horses", "Power Transfer to a Human during an Electric Eel's Shocking Leap", "Phenomenological Understanding and Electric Eels", 1954 educational film about the electric eel, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Electric_eel&oldid=1000848621, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 January 2021, at 01:12. Electric Eel. It is also an air-breather and, unlike true species, lives in freshwater. It is considered as a fresh water teleost which contains an electrogenic tissue that produces electric discharges.[3]. The body of an electric eel is long and cylindrical its color is usually a gray brown with there underside being yellow. [7] Electric eels are also capable of controlling their prey's nervous systems with their electrical abilities; by controlling their victim's nervous system and muscles via electrical pulses, they can keep prey from escaping or force it to move so they can locate its position. These other clades, however, evolved their eel-like shapes independently from the … It is the largest freshwater eel in New Zealand and the only endemic species – the other eels found in New Zealand are the native shortfin eel (Anguilla australis), also found in Australia, and the naturally introduced Australian longfin eel (Anguilla reinhardtii). E. electricus has a vascularized respiratory system with gas exchange occurring through epithelial tissue in its buccal cavity. These famous freshwater predators get their name from the enormous electrical charge they can generate to stun prey and dissuade predators. Despite its name, it is not closely related to true eels. [17][18], Michael Faraday extensively tested the electrical properties of an electric eel, imported from Suriname. [citation needed] The fish's electric organs eventually become completely discharged, allowing the collector to wade into the water in comparative safety.[23]. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. Males grow to be larger than females[22][23] by about 35 cm (14 in). Additional names Electric Eel Additional scientific names Electrophorus multivalvulus, Gymnotus electricus, Gymnotus regius, Gymnotus tremulus. Despite its name, the Electric Eel is not an eel (Order Anguilidae). They have no scales. nov.[2]. Electric eels are fishes that appear in the Jungle Bunch universe. Despite its name, the electric eel is not closely related to the true eels (Anguilliformes) but is a member of the neotropical knifefish order (Gymnotiformes), which is more closely related to the catfish. [14] Larger voltages have been reported, but the typical output is sufficient to stun or deter virtually any animal. They have neither pelvic fins nor dorsal fins, but do possess greatly elongated anal fins that stretch along almost the entire underside of their bodies. It can weigh up to six pounds. When originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1766, he used the name Gymnotus electricus, placing it in the same genus as Gymnotus carapo (banded knifefish) which he had described several years earlier. They live in the murky streams and ponds of the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America, feeding mainly on fish, but also amphibians and even birds and small mammals. The Electrical Eel is an elongated, serpentine fish and one of the 600 diverse species. It was only about a century later, in 1864, that the electric eel was moved to its own genus Electrophorus by Theodore Gill. [27], Later the electric eel was considered sufficiently distinct to have its own family, Electrophoridae, but it has since been merged back into the family Gymnotidae, alongside Gymnotus. [13] The main and Hunter’s organs have a high expression of this protein, giving it a high sensitivity to changes in ion concentration, whereas Sachs' organ has a low expression of this protein. [11], Electric eels have been used as a model in the study of bioelectrogenesis. nov., and E. varii sp. Electric eels can fatally electrocute a horse. The term "eel" is also used for some other eel-shaped fish, such as electric eels (genus Electrophorus), spiny eels (family Mastacembelidae), and deep-sea spiny eels (family Notacanthidae). Those encounters with … One of the new species – Electrophorus voltai – can discharge up to 860 volts of electricity, significantly more than the 650 volts generated … They have long, cylindrical bodies and flattened heads and are generally dark green or grayish on top with yellowish coloring underneath. Human deaths from electric eels are extremely rare. The animal uses these shocks both for hunting and to defend itself. Scientific Name: Electrophorus electricus. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- Low voltages are used to sense the surrounding environment. First-born hatchlings eat other eggs and embryos from later clutches. Despite their serpentine appearance, electric eels are not actually eels. True to its name, however, it produces electrical charges which it can use to stun prey or predators. By causing a sudden difference in electric potential, it generates an electric current in a manner similar to a battery, in which stacked plates each produce an electric potential difference. Despite its name, it is actually not an eel, but a species of knifefish. They are member of the Order Gymnotiformes (South American electric knifefish) and related to the Black Ghost Knifefish. [12] Additionally, the three organs have varying amounts of Na+/K+-ATPase, which is a Na+/K+ ion pump that is crucial in the formation of voltage. It has a small, or reduced, caudal fin and also lacks dorsal fins. Electric Eel Facts and Information Electrophorus electricus Introduction to Electric Eel. In the dry season, a male eel makes a nest from his saliva into which the female lays her eggs. Making electricity. The electric eel has three pairs of abdominal organs that produce electricity: the main organ, Hunter's organ, and Sachs' organ. published work strongly suggesting division of Electrophorus electricus into three species based on DNA divergence, ecology and habitat, anatomy and physiology, and electrical ability. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. Electric eels feed on invertebrates, although adult eels may also consume fish and small mammals, such as rats. Baby girl, turn me on with your electric feel" I said, "Ooh girl. Electric eels can grow up to 8 feet in length. [24], These fish have always been sought after by some animal collectors, but catching them is difficult, because the only reasonable option is to make the eels tired by continually discharging their electricity. They often live on muddy bottoms in calm or stagnant waters.[11]. [4] Their coloration is dark gray-brown on the back and yellow or orange on the belly. Pairs of high voltage pulses separated by 2 milliseconds are used to detect and locate prey by causing them to twitch involuntarily; the electric eel senses this movement. (2005). [5] As obligate air-breathers, electric eels must rise to the surface every ten minutes or so to inhale before returning to the bottom. As in other ostariophysan fishes, the swim bladder has two chambers. Today, the electric eel is capable of producing electric shocks of up to 600 volts. They are closely related to the Catfish. [14][28][29], In September 2019, C. David de Santana et al. The fish swim by rippling this fin, keeping their bodies rigid. Electric eel, (genus Electrophorus), any of three species of elongated South American knifefishes that produce powerful electric shocks to stun prey, usually other fish. The IUCN categorizes the species globally as least concern. Electric Eel Despite their serpentine appearance, electric eels (Electrophorus electricus) are not actually eels. The main electrical organ and the strong-voltage section of Hunter's organ are rich in calmodulin, a protein that is involved in high-voltage production. An electric eel is not exactly an eel. Electric eels tend to live on muddy bottoms in calm water and in stagnant arms of rivers, where … Similar to other eel shaped fish, the electric eel lacks pelvic fins. The anal fin extends the length of the body to the tip of the tail. Conservation Status: Least Concern The rays are part of the genus Electrophorus, and the family of cutlery. This feature is apparently useful for hunting other Gymnotiformes. The electric eel is unique among the Gymnotiformes in having large electric organs that can produce potentially lethal discharges that allow them to stun prey. The scientists named E. voltai for the early 19th-century physicist Alessandro Volta, who invented the eel-inspired electric battery. See more ideas about Reptiles and amphibians, Snake, Reptiles. Photograph by Norbert Wu, Minden Pictures/Nat Geo Image Collection, WATCH: Electric Eels Can Leap From the Water to Attack, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/e/electric-eel.html. The electric eel is found in the Amazon Basin, in marshy areas or stagnant arms of rivers — areas where other fishes find it difficult to live because of the deficiency of dissolved oxygen. The original electric eel, Electrophorus electricus. Baby girl, turn me on with your electric feel" All along the Eastern shore. They also have poor eyesight, but can emit a low-level charge, less than 10 volts, which they use like radar to navigate and locate prey. [19], Researchers at Yale University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology argue artificial cells could be built that not only replicate the electrical behavior of electric eel cells, but also improve on them. Electric eel has been named so as it has a snake-like long and cylindrical body resembling eels. Juveniles produce smaller voltages (about 100 V). [11] The juveniles eat invertebrates, such as shrimp and crabs. Through this method, Faraday determined and quantified the direction and magnitude of electric current, and proved the animal's impulses were in fact electrical by observing sparks and deflections on a galvanometer. It also breathes air and, unlike real species, lives in fresh water. The electric eels scientific name is Electrophorus electricus. [8][9], In the electric eel, some 5,000 to 6,000 stacked electroplaques can generate a shock of up to 860 volts and up to 1 ampere of current. Diet: Carnivore. However, multiple shocks can cause respiratory or heart failure, and people have been known to drown in shallow water after a stunning jolt. Electric Eel Facts. [10][2] Electric eels use electricity in multiple ways. Shock me like an electric eel. Electric eels are snake like fishes that produce electricity. As many as 3,000 young hatch from the eggs in one nest. Electric eels are found inhabiting fresh waters of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in South America, and the electric eels tend to prefer the river floodplains, swamps, coastal plains, and creeks. For a span of four months, Faraday carefully and humanely measured the electrical impulses produced by the animal by pressing shaped copper paddles and saddles against the specimen. One species, the Volta electric eel (Electrophorus voltai) has been found to hunt in groups. It is closely related to a knifefish or catfish. Common Name: Electric Eel. Electric Eels are Actually Fish Despite their elongated body that gives them a serpentine appearance, electric eels more fish than eels. [7] This opens the ion channels, allowing sodium to flow through, reversing the polarity momentarily. All rights reserved. They may look like a snake, but they aren’t even a real eel. Nearly eighty percent of the oxygen used by the fish is obtained in this way.[6]. doi:10.1126/science.1260807. Bibcode:2014Sci...346.1231C. Information Edit. Science. The scientific name of the wolf eel is Anarrhichthys ocellatus. 2021 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Put your circuits in the sea. electric eel 1. The New Zealand longfin eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii) is a species of freshwater eel that is endemic to New Zealand. [15] When agitated, they can produce these intermittent electric shocks over at least an hour without tiring. Electric eels can grow up to 2.5 metres and only need to surface for air every 10 minutes due to the eels complex circulatory system. The anterior chamber is connected to the inner ear by a series of small bones derived from neck vertebrae called the Weberian apparatus, which greatly enhances its hearing capability. Hunt in groups the latest scientific consensus available, and related to true eels reach proportions. Average life span in the study of bioelectrogenesis eels use electricity in multiple ways voltai sp ( South American knifefish! 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