Facts about Electric Eel Bioelectricity
- 05
Despite their name, electric eels are not true eels but are more closely related to catfish and carp, belonging to the order Gymnotiformes.
- 04
Navigation and communication in electric eels rely on weak, low-voltage electric pulses distinct from the high-voltage discharges used for hunting and defense.
- 03
A hunting electric eel emits high-frequency volleys of electric pulses that cause involuntary muscle contractions in prey, immobilizing them before capture.
- 02
Electric eels possess three specialized electric organs — the Main organ, Hunter's organ, and Sachs' organ — that together occupy most of the animal's body.
- 01
The electric eel can generate electric discharges of up to 600 volts, making it one of the most powerful biological electricity producers on Earth.