COMMON NAME : Electric Eel
SCIENTIFIC NAME : Electrophorous electricus
TYPE : Fish
DIET : Carnivore
GROUP NAME : Swarm
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WORLD : 15 years
SIZE : 6 to 8 feet
WEIGHT : 44 pounds
- A 650 volt electric shock is felt when touched by the electric eel, an aquatic creature found in freshwater in the United States.
- That is why this water creature is called electric eel. A person can die from its shock.
- This twitch is used by the animal for hunting, self-defense and contact with mates.
- Although it is named Electric Eel, it is actually not an Eel but a Knife Fish. Knife fish have a long body and swim in the water with the help of the claws on the back.
- The electric eel is a fish up to 2 meters long and weighs up to 20 kg.
- This fish has electric organs. These fish use it to shake the prey. Electric eels are found in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins.
Diet and Behavior
They live in the murky streams and ponds of the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America, feeding mainly on fish, but also amphibians and even birds and small mammals. As air-breathers, they must come to the surface frequently. They also have poor eyesight, but can emit a low-level charge, less than 10 volts, which they use like radar to navigate and locate prey.
Characteristics
Electric eels can reach huge proportions, exceeding 8 feet in length and 44 pounds in weight. They have long, cylindrical bodies and flattened heads and are generally dark green or grayish on top with yellowish coloring underneath.
Threats to Humans
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.
