It can release up to 860 volts, which is enough to run a machine. In a recent study, a research group from Nagoya University in Japan found electric eels can release enough electricity to genetically modify small fish larvae. They published their findings in PeerJ – Life and Environment.
Electric eels can produce up to 860 volts of electricity, which is enough to power a machine. This power can stun and kill prey, but it can also genetically modify small fish larvae
A research group from Nagoya University in Japan found that electric eels can release enough electricity to genetically modify small fish larvae. Their findings were published in the scientific journal PeerJ – Life and Environment.
Electric eels are a genus of neotropical freshwater fish from South America. They have been part of indigenous cultures in South America for thousands of years.
Electric eels can magnify the electric charge they produce by slithering up and out of the water, pressing their chin against whatever creature has sparked their interest. They can also make a distinctive low-frequency clicking sound.
A marvel of evolution, the electric eel packs a 600-volt punch to ward off attackers and stun its prey. Battery-like cells in the eel called electrocytes are studded with ion channels that precisely regulate sodium and potassium, but the exact configuration of these channels is unknown.
Electric eels are a good example of a biocompatible power source. Scientists have used them as a blueprint for a self-charging device that could power pacemakers, prosthetics, and augmented reality.
Electric eels use ion gradients to generate high voltages and currents. They emit an alternating current in pulses, and their charge is depleted after a strong shock. Their electric organ takes some time to recharge.
Electric eels are not usually lethal to healthy adults, but multiple shocks can cause respiratory or even heart failure. For those with pre-existing medical conditions, the shock can pose a more significant threat.
Electric eels are not a good source of food for humans because they are very bony and provide very little sustenance
Throughout the dry season, the electric eel is also at greater risk from predators, such as large mammals, that hunt from outside the shallow waters it inhabits. Because there is little space to retreat, the fish is often forced to defend itself.
Electric eels are non-aggressive and have few predators. They are too dangerous for other species to attack. However, some animals that can eat electric eels include:
- Caimans
- American crocodiles
- Piranhas
- Large land mammals
During the dry season, electric eels are at greater risk from predators because they have less space to retreat.
Electric eels are abundant, but some areas have laws that prohibit hobbyists from keeping them. This is because they could pose a threat to local fish and human populations if they escaped.
For self-defense, electric eels leap from the water to directly electrify threats, efficiently activating nociceptors to deter their target. The latter behavior supports a legendary account by Alexander von Humboldt who described a battle between electric eels and horses in 1800.
Electric eels have three electric organs that can generate weak or strong electrical discharges. They use their electrical capabilities to defend themselves against predators and to stun prey
When threatened by a large, land-based predator, electric eels can leap out of the water to deliver a high-voltage attack. The shocks from leaping electric eels are powerful enough to drive away animals as large as horses.
Electric eels also reduce the danger to themselves by flexing their bodies in a shape that prevents the electric current from passing through their heart. When they are charging up, they stiffen into a line segment
Electric eels have several adaptations that help them survive:
- Air breathing Electric eels are obligate air breathers, meaning they must come to the surface for air to survive. They get most of their oxygen by breathing air using buccal pumping.
- Mucous membrane Electric eels have a special mucous membrane in their mouth that can absorb oxygen from the air.
- Folds and blood vessels The folds and blood vessels lining the mouth help to increase the oxygen intake in these animals.
- Anal fin Electric eels rely on the wave-like movements of their elongated anal fin to propel themselves through the water.
- Sensors Electric eels have sensors located along the sides of their long, cylindrical bodies. These sensors perform a vital life process called electrolocation.
Electric eels can live in habitats with widely varying oxygen levels including streams, swamps, and pools. (Full article source google)
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