Electric eel — printable fact sheet
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Animal Fact Sheet
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Electric eel
Electrophorus electricus
The electric eel is not an eel — it is a knifefish, more closely related to catfish — and its electricity does far more than stun. Three specialised organs, built from stacked cells called electrocytes that discharge like batteries wired in series, run most of the length of its …
Did you know?
- Despite their name, electric eels are not true eels but belong to the knifefish family.
- The electric eel is not an eel at all — it is a knifefish, closer to catfish. It discharges over 800 volts from three organs made of stacked, battery-like cells. It can remotely trigger a hidden fish's muscles into twitching, forcing it to give away its position. Cornered, it leaps from the water to press the shock directly into a threat.
What I learned
Draw the electric eel
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