Many are quite familiar with the electric eel, a highly unique animal that is known for shocking its prey in the water. This remains common knowledge in society, but how do these fish actually produce that harmful high-voltage electricity?
Anatomically, the electric eel has three electricity-producing organs that, when combined, take up 60 percent of its body weight. These three organs are called the main organ, Hunter’s organ, and Sach’s organ. The main organ and Hunter’s organs line the electric eel on either side of the body, and they produce deadly,
high-voltage electricity. The Sach’s organ, on the other hand, is located towards the tail of the electric eel and produces low-voltage, harmless shocks to communicate and find prey in the water.
The body of the eel contains specialized cells called electrolytes that have a negative charge in their centers. this negative charge creates a current that pulls positively charged potassium ions into the cells, pushing more potassium ions out of the cell and creating a chain reaction among the surrounding electrolytes. The mass release of these positive ions serves as the electric shock produced by the eels.
Shocking prey became necessary and helpful for electric eels to stun spiny fish that may be harmful if they struggle. The electric eel stuns the prey with electricity and subsequently sucks it directly into the stomach. When hunting larger or tougher prey, an electric eel can surround the prey, wrapping the body around it. This tactic can double the power of the electric field between the positive and negative poles located near the eel’s head and tail, respectively.
With its electric capacity and ability to grow up to nine feet long, the electric eel is shockingly formidable and equally as interesting to learn about.