Electric Eel
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Electric Eel
Fish
A fascinating South American freshwater fish that has special organs taking up most of its body, allowing it to generate powerful electric shocks to stun prey and defend itself.
💡 Fun Facts
- An electric eel's shock can be over 600 volts, which is more than twice as powerful as the electricity in our homes!
- They use low-voltage pulses to navigate and find prey in murky water, similar to radar.
- In 2019 scientists split the electric eels into three kinds, and found that a close cousin, Volta's electric eel, can give an even stronger shock of about 860 volts — the most powerful of any animal.
Name Story
Electrophorus electricus
means “The electricity-bearer”
What does its name mean?
- Electrophorus — electricity-bearerGreek elektron 'amber' + phoros 'bearer'
- electricus — electricNew Latin
This fish can make a powerful jolt of electricity to stun its prey — and the Greek root 'elektron' means amber, the fossil-resin that crackles with static when rubbed, which is where our word 'electricity' comes from. (Despite its name, it isn't really an eel at all, but a kind of knifefish.)