Re: Electric eel

The answer to this question is a bit more difficult than one might expect. There are a few different answers. Let me try to explain.

First of all, Electric Eels work like batteries. Their bodies are mostly made up of an organ that produces electricity much the same way the cells in a battery produce electricity. Their Head and Tail are the opposite polls of the living battery they make up. When they discharge, the current flows from either the head to the tail or visa versa. I was not able to find out which was the positive and negative sides.

Because they are the source of the energy flow, they can control how often it is released (most Eels release it 25 times per second, but during times when they are excited, they can get as active as 50-55 times per second) and how powerful the release is. They generally release a charge of about 25-75 Volts but can get as powerful as 500 volts (some have been reported to be up to 800 volts, but this is an unconfirmed report.)

They only release the strongest charges during times when they are hunting prey, mating, or trying to escape predators. Their strongest charges are capable of killing a horse. A human being can usually withstand one encounter with an Electric Eel but if we were to be shocked many times, we would surely die as well.

This leads up to answer one. In the same way that the electricity from the wall can shock you but not affect the material that the wall socket is made of, the Eel can shock others without being affected itself. They can shock other Electric Eels though and this has been witnessed many times.

Now... Here's where it gets confusing. Electric Eels sometimes hunt the same prey at the same time and although there can be two or more Eels shocking the prey in the same area and at the same time, the Eels somehow are not affected. If you were to be in the water near this, you would get quite a shock!

When the Eels mate, they also emit bursts of energy.

During both of these times, the Eels are emitting their most powerful shocks and yet other eels around them are not affected. Imagine the male Eel mating with the female Eel and their is a lot of powerful shocking going on... But neither is affected by it. Now, at another time, the male Eel runs into the female Eel and they fight. One will kill the other or scare it away with the shocks that are identical to those used during mating...

Why does it affect the Eel during a fight but not mating... or feeding? I don't know. And I can't seem to get an answer from anyone I know so if you find this out, please let me know!

Thanks for the opportunity to answer this question!

- Joe Agro - AT&T Corp.

Admin Note: Regarding electric eels shocking themselves or other eels - Electric eels have a thick layer of fat that acts as an insulator. This natural insulation protects them from their own (or other) bursts.