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Electric eels live in muddy waters. ... The electric eel's anal fin extends from the tip of the tail nearly to the chin. Fluttering like a ribbon, it allows the fish to move forward and backward with ease. The electric eel's vital organs are contained in just one-fifth of its body, directly behind its head.
- How does an electric eel behave?
- Can you be killed by an electric eel?
- Can electric eels paralyze you?
- What animal eats electric eels?
- Can humans have Electrocytes?
- Are electric eels AC or DC?
- How strong is 600 volts?
- Can an electric eel power a light bulb?
- How many volts is lethal?
- Are electric eels blind?
- Do electric eels electrify the water?
- Do electric eels breathe air?
- Does an electric eel have to touch you to shock you?
- Are electric eels eaten?
- Do electric eels make noise?
How does an electric eel behave?
They are nocturnal animals that live in muddy dark waters, so they must rely on electricity for sensing. Electric eels tend to stay relatively rigid in order to fully use their electrical capabilities. They have a positive charge near the head, while the tail end is negative.
Can you be killed by an electric eel?
Human deaths from electric eels are extremely rare. However, multiple shocks can cause respiratory or heart failure, and people have been known to drown in shallow water after a stunning jolt.
Can electric eels paralyze you?
One of the reasons this behavior hadn't previously been studied in detail is because eels can shock, paralyze and swallow their prey so quickly that it's often unnoticeable to the unaided human eye.
What animal eats electric eels?
What eats electric eels? Apart from being fished by humans, electric eels have no known predators. They are too dangerous for other species to go after, regardless of water levels. If the water is shallow, there's a chance that large land mammals will go after them, but this threat is often deterred with a shock.
Can humans have Electrocytes?
The organ contains thousands of specialized muscle cells called electrocytes. Each only produces a small voltage, but together, they can generate up to 600 volts—enough to stun a human, or even a horse.
Are electric eels AC or DC?
How do electric eels release their shock? Electric fish can either emit an electric organ discharge (EOD), in pulses, or in a wave-like (sinusoidal) manner. Furthermore, they can either produce DC, direct current (monophasic) or AC, alternating current (biphasic).
How strong is 600 volts?
At 600 volts, the current through the body may be as great as 4 amps, causing damage to internal organs such as the heart. High voltages also produce burns. In addition, internal blood vessels may clot. Nerves in the area of the contact point may be damaged.
Can an electric eel power a light bulb?
Electric eels can release between 10 to 850 volts, with one big jolt able to light up to a 40-watt DC light bulb.
How many volts is lethal?
Assuming a steady current flow (as opposed to a shock from a capacitor or from static electricity), shocks above 2,700 volts are often fatal, with those above 11,000 volts being usually fatal, though exceptional cases have been noted.
Are electric eels blind?
Electric eels live in muddy waters. Mostly blind, they rely on low-level electrical pulses to navigate and explore their surroundings. Higher levels of voltage are generated to stun or kill prey and to protect them from predators.
Do electric eels electrify the water?
Catania published the results of a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in June 2016 that definitively showed electric eels can and do propel themselves out of the water in a defensive behavior that allows them to deliver their high-voltage payload directly to a target.
Do electric eels breathe air?
They are obligate air-breathers, which means they surface for air periodically. Their mouths are heavily vascularized with folds that increase the surface area, allowing them to breathe air, rather than trying to meet their respiration needs through gills in warm, anoxic waters.
Does an electric eel have to touch you to shock you?
Electric eels control their prey WITHOUT touching it: Creatures send shock waves to manipulate their target's muscles. Electric eels use shocking tactics not just to incapacitate prey, but also control them, research has shown. ... This is almost equivalent to the voltage created by the subway power system in New York.
Are electric eels eaten?
Can you eat an electric eel? Yes, you can eat an electric eel. But they are not a good source of food for humans because they are very bony and provide very little sustenence.
Do electric eels make noise?
A large electric eel attacks and eats a fish during its high-voltage discharge. The sound is from a speaker that is relaying the electric signal from the water through electrodes.
