Electric eel: description and features. Electric eels are the most powerful generators of electricity among fish.

Among the few representatives of the animal world there are owners amazing ability generate and store electricity. One of them is the electric eel (Electrophorus electricus).
This amazing fish lives in small rivers in the north South America, as well as in the lower and middle region Amazon basin. Although the electric eel lives in water like a fish, its body structure allows it to breathe atmospheric air. He receives each portion of air, rising upward, approximately once every 15 minutes. Simply put, he can drown if he fails to surface in time. This ability to breathe air allows the eel to leave water bodies for several hours.

electric eel - a dangerous miracle of nature

But the most amazing quality of this fish is still considered its ability to generate electricity. Since water is an excellent conductor, it is noteworthy that the eel itself does not suffer from electrical discharges. How does this happen?

The eel has unique organs that resemble battery banks in structure. They occupy about 40% of his body. Each current-producing cell contains a small amount of negatively charged ions inside itself, and the ions outside the cell are positively charged.

Naturally, such an electric potential is negligible. But when the number of such cells is from 6 to 10 thousand in one chain, the voltage can reach 500 volts! There are about 700 such parallel-connected chains on each side of the eel’s body. Their total discharge is approximately 1 ampere!
Such a shock of electricity can knock down a horse, paralyze for several hours, and even kill a person, but does not harm the eel itself. This is due to the fact that two small membranes provide the opportunity for discharge. The eel's skin has insulating properties, and the electrical cells are connected only to each other, and are isolated from other parts of the body.

Electricity serves several functions for the eel. This is both protection and a means of hunting, and is also used for navigation. The eel is not capable for a long time stably generate electricity. Each time the discharges become weaker. It will take several hours to restore them to full capacity.
Resourceful locals consider eel a delicacy. But catching eels is deadly! Fishermen have noticed that cows “tolerate” the protection of electric fish, so they are used to forcibly “discharge water batteries.” The horned “invaders” are driven into the river, and the eels, defending the territory, attack the aliens. When the cows stop mooing and rushing about in fear, they are driven ashore. Then the angry but harmless eels are caught with nets.

The only species of the genus Electrophorus. Despite external resemblance, not related to true eels.

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What is an Electric Eel?

Electric eels

Electric stingray and eel

5 MONSTERS OF THE AMAZON RIVER

Subtitles

Area

They inhabit the rivers of the northeastern part of South America and tributaries of the middle and lower reaches of the Amazon.

Story

Europeans received the first information about the electric eel from the Spanish conquerors. The first detailed description was made in 1729. In 1766, Carl Linnaeus described the species based on the work of the Dutch scientist Jan Gronovius, giving it the scientific name Gymnotus electricu.

Naturalists did not immediately believe that these fish strike with electricity. It was assumed that they “freeze” their prey in some mysterious way. However, in June 1772, Fellow of the Royal Society John Walsh proved that eels use electricity to stun their victims.

Description

Length from 1 to 3 m, weight up to 40 kg. The electric eel has bare skin, without scales, and the body is very elongated, rounded in the front and somewhat compressed laterally in the back. The color of adult electric eels is olive-brown, the underside of the head and throat is bright orange, the edge of the anal fin is light, and the eyes are emerald green.

Electric organs

An interesting thing about the structure of electric eels are the electric organs, which occupy about 4/5 of the body length. The eel generates a discharge with a voltage of up to 1300 V and a current of up to 1 A. The positive charge is in the front of the body, the negative charge is in the back. Electric organs are used by the eel to protect against enemies and to paralyze prey, which consists mainly of small fish. There is also an additional electric organ that acts as a locator. An electric shock from an adult electric eel can stun a horse.

Lifestyle

Almost nothing is known about the reproduction of electric eels. Electric eels do well in captivity and often decorate large public aquariums. This fish is dangerous if you come into direct contact with it.

Biotope characteristics

The electric eel lives in marshy areas where there are many oxbow lakes, ponds and lakes, which gradually become overgrown with vegetation and turn into swamps. In such a muddy and dirty water the eel rests and hides.

Breath

It is interesting that the electric eel develops special areas of vascular tissue in the oral cavity, which allow it to absorb oxygen directly from the atmospheric air. To capture a new portion of air, the eel must rise to the surface of the water at least once every fifteen minutes, but usually it does this somewhat more often. If the fish is deprived of this opportunity, it will die. The electric eel's ability to use atmospheric oxygen to breathe allows it to remain out of water for several hours, but only if its body and mouth remain moist. This feature ensures increased survival of eels in unfavorable living conditions.

Electricity usage

Electrical impulses are transmitted by nerve fibers to the neurons of the brain, this is how various signals are transmitted that the body perceives. Special electrical organs serve fish for orientation, defense, hunting and communication. Electrical discharges are capable of producing about 250 species of fish.

Electric organs serve primarily for orientation, as well as tools for hunting and protection. However, among all representatives of the fauna, only two species of fish (eels and stingrays) produce a charge of such force that it can paralyze or even kill a person. Eels and stingrays have such powerful electricity in their bodies that they can use it as a weapon.

Navigation

Like all electric fish, electric eels are able to use weak electrical signals to navigate and socially communicate with other electric eels in the dark or in murky water. For orientation, the fish uses a low voltage (10 V), and the electric field extends over a radius of 5 meters.

Some of the electrical receptors are tuned to detect non-electric fish, others are specialized to detect signals from their relatives. The ability to detect electrical signals allows eels to even sense the heartbeat of other fish.

Hunting

For hunting, the eel uses a voltage of 300-600 V. The attack of the electric eel consists of 4-8 discharges, but they are short: they last only two to three thousandths of a second. Having approached the victim, the eel discharges an electric discharge, and the pursued fish, as well as all living creatures around, fall into stupor - the eel can only choose the most suitable victim. With its mouth wide open, it swallows fish, crabs and small animals one after another; while swallowing, he sniffles and makes a noise that can be heard from afar.

Interaction with other predators

The electric eel is a danger to all aquatic life. Turtles, frogs, lizards and even crocodiles prefer to give up their hunting grounds to him. However, sometimes young, inexperienced caimans still decide to attack an electric eel and, as a rule, are defeated.

In culture

Notes

1. Reshetnikov Yu. S., Kotlyar A. N., Rass T. S., Shatunovsky M. I. Five-language dictionary of animal names. Fish. Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / under general edition acad. V. E. Sokolova. - M.: Rus. lang., 1989. - P. 131. - 12,500 copies. - ISBN 5-200-00237-0.

People have always been attracted by amazing underwater inhabitants - dangerous, nerve-wracking, possessing unusual appearance and no less impressive abilities. The electric eel also falls into this category - how many creatures are there that can generate electrical discharges? This guest from South America, to the delight of aquarists, adapts well to living in home tanks, but how many people decide to get such an extraordinary and controversial pet? And besides, future owners should find out in more detail whether all the stories about these harsh creatures are reality or are they just horror stories?

Electric eel in its natural environment

For the first time information about these amazing creatures came to Europeans from the Spanish conquerors. First detailed description dates back to 1729. Almost four decades later, based on the developments of a zoologist from the Netherlands, Jan Gronovius, the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus compiled a detailed description of the individuals and named them scientifically - gymnotus electricu.

These inhabitants should not be confused with eels; despite the same name, they are not even relatives. Electric eels are representatives of the class of ray-finned fish.

Naturalists found it difficult to believe that underwater inhabitants were capable of striking using electrical discharges. Initially, there was an opinion that the eel does not give an electric shock, but “freezes” its prey. But in the summer of 1772, a member of the Royal Society, John Walsh, proved that the creatures actually stunned their victims with electric shock.

Judging by research, electric eels have existed for more than one millennium, and during this period they have adapted to living in unfavorable environment, they can survive even in silted, overgrown bodies of water. More often these inhabitants are found in muddy fresh waters, without current, which contain very little oxygen.

They breathe atmospheric air, therefore, in order to take a breath of air, eels must rise to the surface of the water every 10-15 minutes and capture another portion of air. If individuals cannot do this, then they suffocate and drown. But this ability also has positive side– the eel is capable of staying out of the aquatic environment for several hours. He will not die if his body and mouth are kept moist.

Appearance and structural features

If we evaluate appearance these creatures, they can hardly be called cute or pleasant, they look like fossil creatures from ancient times:

Electric eels are solitary in life; most often they are at the bottom of a reservoir, hovering motionless among dense vegetation. They are nocturnal predators, showing maximum activity in the dark. The main diet consists of small fish, amphibians, crustaceans, and if the eel is lucky, then feathered or small animals appear on its “menu”. Like snakes, these creatures swallow their prey whole.

Unique Features

According to scientists, the ability of these fish to create electrical energy there is nothing unusual. Almost all living organisms do this to one degree or another. For example, the control of muscle fibers by the human brain is also carried out thanks to electrical signals.

The eel body produces electricity in the same way as nerve and muscle fibers in the human body. Electrocyte cells accumulate energy charges extracted from food. Due to their synchronous generation of action potentials, a short electrical discharge is formed. Because the thousands of small charges generated by each cell add up, a voltage of up to 650 volts is created.

Eels are capable of emitting electrical discharges different strengths, and each of them has its own purpose: the impulse can become defensive, occurring during hunting, resting or searching actions of an individual. When an eel sinks to the bottom and rests calmly, its body does not emit any signals.

Hunting impulses

A hungry individual begins to move slowly in the water, while generating weak impulses of up to 50 volts, the duration of which does not exceed 2 ms. When the fish notices a possible prey, their frequency and amplitude increases to 300-600 volts, they last from 0.6 to 2 ms.

Thanks to such “messages” the hunter manages to paralyze the prey. To suppress the fish, which make up the lion's share of the diet of these predators, they use high-frequency pulses. Taking breaks between shocks allows the eel to regain its energy.

When the prey is immobilized, it sinks to the bottom, and the fish, slowly, approaches it and swallows it completely. Then she needs rest - a period during which the food must be digested.

Protective impulses

Enemies who want to “offend” the electric eel will be in trouble - these individuals use rare high-frequency impulses - 2-7 pieces, and 3 search impulses with a small amplitude.

Electrolocation

Thanks to the use of electric organs, representatives of this species not only hunt and defend themselves. They also use low power discharges of up to 10 volts for electrolocation. By nature, these fish have poor vision, and as individuals age, it becomes much worse. Information about their surroundings comes to them in a different way - through electrical sensors located on their body.

In photographs taken under aquatic environment, these receptors are noticeable in individuals - an electric field begins to pulsate around the moving fish. As soon as an object appears near the creature, the shape of the field changes significantly. Using special receptors with which individuals detect the electric field distortions they themselves create, they detect a road and a hiding victim in a turbid aquatic environment.

This incredible sensitivity can be called an excellent advantage, allowing fish to be more successful in hunting and defense than creatures that rely on more familiar visual, tactile and other organs.

Organs that generate electricity

The organs are responsible for generating discharges with different powers various types, which occupy almost 80% of the length of the fish’s body. Eels are able to communicate with each other at a distance of up to seven meters.

Again, they do this by emitting a series of specific electrical impulses. The larger the individual, the more powerful its discharges; in meter-long individuals their power does not exceed 350 volts. And this is quite enough to light half a dozen electric lamps.

Protecting acne from electric shocks

The electricity that eels generate when they hunt can reach a power of six hundred volts. This deadly weapon against small-sized inhabitants - frogs, fish, crustaceans. Larger representatives water world, such as caimans, anacondas and tapirs, do not rush to dangerous areas.

Why can these dangerous creatures strike other inhabitants, but do not suffer from deadly discharges themselves? It's all about the location of the fish's vital organs; their brain and heart muscle are located next to the head and are protected by fatty tissues that insulate them. The skin of individuals also has a similar effect. Experts note that fish with damaged skin are most vulnerable to electrical shocks.

In addition, another feature was identified - when mating, individuals generate high-power discharges, but they do not harm the partner. Moreover, if this happens outside the mating season, the individual who received such a discharge may die. This supports the fact that eels can activate and disable the system that protects them from electrical current.

How do electric eels reproduce?

These inhabitants spawn, preferring to do this in the dry season. Couples also reunite thanks to the impulses they actively send during the mating season. The construction of a secluded nest is carried out by the male; he constructs it from saliva. And the female lays up to 1,700 eggs in it. Electric eels are caring parents and together they take care of their offspring.

The hatched fry are light ocher in color; some individuals have marbled streaks. Those individuals that hatched earlier than the others eat the remaining eggs. The main diet of newly hatched offspring is small invertebrates.

The development of electrical organs in babies begins after the size of individuals reaches 40 mm. Small larvae can also generate current, but only with a very modest power - 3-4 tens of millivolts. If you place a 2-4 day old fry on your palm, you will feel a slight tingling sensation. Individuals become independent when they reach 10-12 cm in length.

• a spacious aquarium, at least 3 meters long, one and a half to two meters deep;
• water of certain parameters: with a temperature of about 25°C, hardness from 11 to 13 mol/m³ and acidity - 7-8 pH.

Experts do not advise frequently replacing water, as this can cause the formation of ulcers on the skin of fish and their subsequent death. The mucous coating of acne includes antibacterial substances that protect the skin from ulcers, and with frequent changes of water, their concentration steadily decreases, and the skin becomes vulnerable.

Eels are quite aggressive towards their fellows, even outside the spawning period, so it is not recommended to have more than one individual in one tank.

Should a person be afraid of this creature?

Considering all the information, which often turns out to be false, the electric eel is extremely dangerous creature, capable of killing even an adult, physically strong person. But in fact, when receiving a discharge from a small individual, a person may lose consciousness, but the electric shock does not lead to death. The current of this creature causes muscle tissue to contract and leads to numbness. This unpleasant feeling can last for more than one hour.

Acne large size generate a higher voltage current, and the consequences can indeed be critical. These predators do not give in even to larger animals. And if they find themselves a few meters away from it, the eel prefers not to run away, but to go on the attack. Therefore, you should not approach these creatures closer than three meters.

In some world cuisines, electric fish are considered a real delicacy; catching them is quite dangerous looking activities. But local residents have shown ingenuity and are catching eels with the help of cows, since electric discharges have practically no effect on them.

Shepherds lead their flocks into the water and wait for the alarmed, loudly mooing and rushing animals to calm down. Then the cattle are driven out of the reservoir and, with the help of nets, individuals who have already spent their discharges are caught. The electric eel is not able to continuously generate electric current, and over time the discharges weaken and stop altogether.

Electric eel – dangerous predator, if you compare the number of his victims with the “successes” of piranhas, the latter lose 100%. Of course, not every owner will decide to have such an ambiguous pet, but if the desire continues, it’s worth getting to know its habits and needs first.

Photos of electric eels

Video about electric eels

This fish with the body of a snake is represented by the only species of the genus Electrophorus - electrophores, electrophoric fish of the family Gymnotidae. Latin name Electrophorus electricus or Gymnotus electricus

This fish with the body of a snake is represented by the only species of the genus Electrophorus - electrophores, electrophoric fish of the family Gymnotidae. Latin name Electrophorus electricus or Gymnotus electricus. Due to its physiological characteristics, it is the highest link in the biological chain, the top of the food pyramid - a predator that has no enemies in natural environment a habitat.

Electric eel habitat

The electric eel lives in troubled waters South America, mainly in the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. Prefers to live in shallow, stagnant, but warm fresh waters with a great lack of oxygen. Since nature has endowed the electric eel with unique vascular tissue in its mouth, it must periodically rise to the surface of the water to swallow fresh air. But if an electric eel finds itself without water, it can survive on land for several hours. The stay in the open air lasts 10 minutes or more, while no other species of fish spends more than 30 seconds on the surface.

Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus). Photo credit: Brian Gratwicke.

Appearance

The electric eel is a fairly large fish. His average length is 2-2.5 meters, but there are also three-meter individuals. The weight of this fish is about 40 kg. The body is snake-like and slightly flattened on the sides, the head is flat. The electric eel can safely be called an animal, not a fish, due to the complete absence of scales. Instead there is bare skin covered with mucus. Fins are also practically absent, except for the pectoral and caudal ones, but they are unusually developed - with their help, the electric eel easily moves in different directions. Nature has endowed this individual with a camouflage gray-brown color, which allows the eel to remain unnoticed while hunting for prey. However, the color of the head may differ from the general color; as a rule, it has an orange tint.

Unique Feature

The very name of this fish speaks about its unique feature generate powerful electrical discharges. How does she manage to do this? The fact is that the eel’s body is covered with special organs consisting of special cells that are sequentially connected to each other by nerve canals. Starting from the very beginning, the weak discharge gains power towards the end, resulting in an unusually strong discharge capable of killing not only small fish, but also a larger opponent. The average discharge power of an electric eel is 350V. It is not fatal to humans, but it can easily stun people to the point of loss of consciousness. Therefore, to avoid unnecessary risk, it is better to stay away from the electric eel and not get close.

Electric fish head orange color. Photo by: Arjan Haverkamp.

Hunting for prey

The electric eel attacks without warning and does not give in even to large prey. If any living creature appears next to the eel, it immediately shudders with its whole body, forming a discharge of 300-350 V, which instantly kills all potential prey nearby, mainly small fish. Having waited for the paralyzed fish to sink to the bottom, the eel calmly swims up to it and swallows it whole, after which it rests for several minutes, digesting the food.

It is almost impossible to catch an electric eel with a fishing rod; this trick does not work well on it, since it does not have good eyesight. I came across this copy by accident. After photographing, he was released home, back into the water. Photo credit: Seig.

Reproduction of the electric eel

In fact, the hero of our story has been studied extremely poorly. Biologists still cannot tell us with absolute certainty about the complete life cycle this fish. It is known that at certain times of the year Gymnotus goes to inaccessible places and returns with grown-up offspring, offspring that already have the ability to “synthesize” an electrical charge. Other sources say that in order to reproduce, the male electric eel creates a nest from his own saliva, after which the female lays eggs in it. From one clutch of eggs, up to 17,000 small electric eels are born. Acne, first born, often eat eggs from fresh clutches.

When darkness falls, the electric eel comes out to hunt. Photo credit: Travis.

How does fertilization occur? Where are intermediate stages of development deposited/born? How the juveniles grow and develop... has not yet been described by science. Only one more insignificant fact has been declared - a fry of Gymnotus that has reached ten to twelve centimeters in length is considered an adult full-fledged individual.

Electric eel - schematically (picture clickable).

Electric eel - interesting facts

1. The electric eel is not related to the common eel. It belongs to the class of ray-finned fish (Actinopterygii).
2. Individuals of the electric eel have very poor vision, there is scientific opinion, that with age, the fish’s eyes stop seeing altogether. And they are awake and hunt mainly at night.
3. Electric eels are carnivorous. They feed not only on small fish, but also on birds, amphibians, crustaceans, and even small mammals.
4. Gymnotus has short teeth; it does not chew its food, but swallows it almost whole.
5. Eels communicate with each other using an electrical discharge.
6. The electric eel has a locator with low-frequency waves, with which it receives information about nearby obstacles or prey.
7. If you hold a young electric eel in your hands, you may feel a slight tingling sensation.
8. The electric eel surpasses even the predatory piranha in the number of victims.
9. The electric eel was first mentioned in historical chronicles 17th century like unusual creature living in the Antilles Sea. Almost a century later, the fish was described by the famous scientist Alexander von Humboldt.

Keeping an electric eel in an aquarium

For Gymnotus, it is necessary to provide a large aquarium, very large, given the size of the fish, it must have at least one of the walls a length of at least 3 meters. It is also important to take into account the depth of the reservoir; the electric one constantly rises to the surface, after which it sinks again into the lower layers; therefore, it is better to provide a depth of the water reservoir of at least 1.5-2 meters.

Electric eel - fragment aquarium life. Photo by: patries71.

In one aquarium it will be possible to keep only one individual, since during the period when fish have no sexual interest in each other, even individuals of different sexes can be aggressive towards their cohabitant. Also, due to its special electrical properties, there are few other species of freshwater fauna that can live in close proximity with the electric eel. Eel owner is very poor eyesight, uses electric navigation to move through the aquatic environment - it emits weak electrical discharges (10-15 V), when a biological object (potential victim) is detected, the strength of the discharge increases.

This electric eel clearly demonstrates how important the size (length) of the aquarium is to it. Photo by: Scott Hanko.

An electric eel aquarium does not require aeration. The water temperature should be at least 25 degrees Celsius, hardness – 11-13 degrees, acidity (pH) in the range of 7-8. Oddly enough, Gymnotus does not like frequent changes of water; there are suggestions that the fish itself creates a microclimate in which antimicrobial substances accumulate that prevent the appearance of diseases. Otherwise, the electric eel develops ulcers on the surface of the skin.

Loves a sandy substrate, a small amount of pebbles is allowed; the presence of a moderate amount of vegetation is welcomed; it also loves a rich bottom landscape - stones, caves, snags.