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  • Electric Eel

Electric Eel

Find me in
Amazon Flooded Forest
  • Quick Facts
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Quick facts

Lifespan

Lifespan

Males live 10-15 years,

females 12-22 years in human care

Diet

Diet

Mainly fish, but also amphibians,

even birds and small mammals

Habitat

Habitat

Quiet, slow-moving waters

of ox-bow lakes, streams, pools and flooded forests

Range

Range

Amazon

and Orinoco basins of northern South America

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The electric eel

Electrifying power

Electrifying power

Named for the electrical charge it releases to stun its prey and enemies, the electric eel can generate up to 800 volts of electricity, enough to kill an adult human.

While all living cells generate electricity, the electric eel arranges about 6,000 of these specialised power cells (called electrocytes) in a series, allowing accumulation of voltage. The cells store power like tiny batteries. When the eel is threatened or attacking prey, these cells discharge simultaneously.
Shock waves

Shock waves

Why, then, does the eel itself not get shocked?

Eels live in water. A large part of the short-lived current (around 2 milliseconds) zips by the vital organs in the eel’s body and is conducted away into the water, electrocuting the eel’s prey in the process. A prey 10 times smaller in length than an eel is about 1,000 times smaller in volume. Though the current received by its prey is only a small portion of the total current generated, it is overwhelming in terms of proportion.
In murky water

In murky water

The electric eel is a knifefish and is more closely related to catfish and carp than to other eels. It cannot be kept with other fish as it will shock or eat them. As it makes its home in the muddy bottoms of rivers, it electro-navigates its way around rather than depend on its bad eyesight. The water they live in often has a very low concentration of dissolved oxygen. Though they have gills to take in dissolved oxygen, they surface frequently for air - 80% of their oxygen intake is obtained this way. Their mouth is lined with folds, which are packed with blood vessels to breathe atmospheric air.
Family matters

Family matters

Electric eels reproduce during the dry season. The females lay between 1,200 and 1,700 eggs, which are deposited in a well-hidden nest made of saliva, built by the male. Males stay on guard, defending their nest and the fry vigorously until the rainy season begins. This parental care may be due to increased food competition and potential for predation during the dry season. Juveniles feed on small invertebrates while newly-hatched fry will eat the unhatched eggs around them.
Amazing Amazonia – Behind-the-scenes Tour

Amazing Amazonia – Behind-the-scenes Tour

In reality, electric eels and piranhas are not the nasty predators they are portrayed to be in popular media. Join us on the Amazing Amazon tour to gain special access to restricted zones behind-the-scenes. You will get to feed our school of piranhas, electric eels and stingrays, while learning more about these uniqueresidents of the Amazon Flooded Forest.

Together, we protect wildlife

Many animals are threatened by deforestation, habitat degradation, and the illegal wildlife trade.

Visit our conservation pages for more information on projects that Mandai Nature supports, and to find out how you can get involved too.

The IUCN Status

LC

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

DD

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

LC

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

NT

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

VU

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

EW

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

EX

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

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Every visit to our parks comes with

Every visit to our parks comes with
Find out how, together, we're creating a better future for wildlife and the planet.

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