Electric Eel
Electrophorus electricus
DistributionElectric Eel Distribution
Electric Eels are found in calm freshwater sources such as lakes, rivers, swamps and creeks in the Amazon Rainforest, tending to linger at the muddy seabed.
DietElectric Eels use their ability to let out electric shocks to hunt prey such as fish, small mammals and other invertebrates. Hatchlings might feast on eggs or embryos of other Eels, and Juvenile Electric Eels might snack on crustaceans such as crabs and decapods. When Electric Eeels are hunting, their brain sends a message to electic cells.
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DescriptionElectric Eel
Electric Eels are a type of electric fish that grow up to 2 metres long and can weigh up to 20 kilograms. Electric Eels have grey or brown backs and yellow or orange on the underparts. Mature male Electric Eels are resognisable by their darker coloured underparts. Electric Eeels are fish, but have no scales. At the end of an Electric Eel's snout, their square-shaped mouth forms. Electric Eels have a thin anal fin that runs down to the tip of their tails. Electric Eels have swim bladders with two chambers; the anterior chamber which is connected to the inner ear, and the posterior (meaning the rear end of something) chamber which connects with the whole body. Electric Eels are air-breathing fish and reach the surface every 10 minutes or so to breathe. Many would think that Electric Eels are true eels, but they are in fact knifefish. To distinguish a female Electric Eel from a male Electric Eel, you will have to recognise which one is larger and the largest Eel is always going to be the female Electric Eel. Electric Eels have good-quality hearing.
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LifeDuring the dry season, male Electric Eels use their saliva to make nests for their mate to produce her eggs in. The most amount of eggs known to have been produced is 3000.
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Threats and DangersElectric Eels do not have many predators and are very hard to fish for. However, with the high rate of rivers being polluted, they may soon be found without any clean water to live in. But this is not a huge threat to most marine life, and Electric Eels are therefore a Least Concern.
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DefencesElectric Eels have three chambers in the abdomen that create electric shocks that are capable of being 600 volts. The three organs are: the main organ, the Hunter's organ and the Sach's organ and they take up two tenths of an Electric Eel's body. Electric Eels can produce low voltage and high voltage electricity. The three organs are lined up with one another to make a powerful charge of electricity. Electric Eels muster up their electricity a lot like a battery, using special plates to create mighty electric shocks. Electric Eels can create electric shocks deadly enough to kill full grown humans. In the Sach's organ there are many special cells called electrocytes. Each individual cell can create 0.15 volts, which all adds up to help make powerful electric shocks. Juvenile Electric Eels create up to 100 volts. Electric Eels can change their electricity rate and tend to have higher electricity rates when stunning prey or when they are threatened. Electric Eels can send of powerful electric shocks for long periods of times without showing any sign of weariness.
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