Electric eel

Electrophorus electricus

Despite its eel-like appearance, the electric eel is not an eel but a knife fish. Because the electric eel is largely blind, it orientates itself in space by means of weak electric currents. The reflection of these electric currents shows the electric eel if there are obstacles or prey about. Violent surges of up to 500 volts are capable of killing fish and other living creatures. These are produced using three pairs of muscles which have developed into organs for the generation of electrical energy and which take up a large part of the eel’s body. The total of up to 6,000 electric cells (electrocytes) reach the amperage of 0.83 ampere with the power output of 415 watts, occasionally up to 1 ampere and 600 watts. Electric eels can give off violent electric shocks continuously or occasionally for an hour without getting very tired.

Closest relatives	New World knifefish, knifeeels (33 species)
Habitat	muddy and oxygen-starved lakes and rivers
Behaviour	nocturnal, solitary, kills or paralyzes prey with electric shocks
Diet	Fish, small mammals, worms, crabs, insect larvae
Body length	Males up to 2.5 m, females smaller
Weight	up to 20 kg
Spawn	Male builds a nest of mucus, in which the female lays the eggs, male guards the nest, up to 3,000 young animals
Breeding period	unknown
Life expectancy	15 to 22 years
Use	for scientific study, rarely fishing
Current status	common, stable
At Zurich Zoo since	1954