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The electric eel may be one of the most remarkable predators in the entire animal kingdom, according to a new discovery. Electric eels can grow to lengths exceeding 8 feet and weights of more than 44 pounds. Over two thirds of the eel’s body is filled with specialized cells called electrocytes that store electricity like small biological batteries.
When the eel is threatened or attacking prey, these cells discharge simultaneously, emitting electrical discharges of at least 600 volts, five times the voltage of a standard US wall socket. A biologist who has been studying these Amazon dwellers for the last three years discovered that eels have a special maneuver that allows them to double the electrical shock that they can deliver to particularly large or difficult prey. What’s particularly fascinating is that the eel’s electrical system gives it what is essentially remote control over its prey’s muscles.Image credit: Catania lab / Vanderbilt
