Video Credit- SciFri
Imagine a 500 Volts electric shock to your body, or any other larger mammals; that is how much of a power an electric Eel could produce in any still water with average of 27.5 feet high!
The Electric Eel
Electrophorus Electricus (Electric Eel) is actually a fish, a close cousin of the Catfish which belongs to the "Neotropical Knife Fish". Possessing huge electrical organs that serves as energy reserves which stings preys producing lethal shocks waves while in defensive mode or hunting for it's meals. However, the intensity of their electrical shocks discharges varies per action i.e the amount of discharge when been attacked is much greater than the ones used in hunting.This process is referred to as Bio-electrogenesis in advance science.
BIOELECTROGENESIS
This is the process where by living organisms generates electricity another scientific process known as "Electrophysiology", just a few members of the aquatic habitats posses this ability. The electric eel is the most popular along with it's close relatives; The Black Ghost Knife Fish, Electric Catfish, The Electric Ray etc. This species of fishes and animals owns electric-like organs used to create such electric field. Below Charles Darwin tries to explain how this unique animals posses such a magical body part.
"But id the Electric Organs had been inherited from one ancient progenitor thus provided, we might have expected that all electric fishes would have been specially related to each other...I am inclined to believe that nearly the same way as two men have sometimes independently hit on the very same invention, so natural selection, working for the good of each being and taking advantage of analogous variations has sometimes modified in very nearly the same manner two parts in two organic beings- Charles Darwin from Origin Of Species"
HABITAT
They are found in salty waters(Sea and Ocean) as well as Fresh Waters, most Electric Eels recorded were found in the South American Waters of the Amazon and are mainly Carnivorous which could grow as long as 2.5 meters and weigh up to 20 Kg. With a complex Respiratory and Circulatory system, Electric Eels surfaces approximately every 10 Minutes to get air on the surface of the water. This fishes lives solitary and the their mode of reproduction is strangely unusual i.e the Males makes a nest with it's saliva and the Female Eel lays her 15,000 plus eggs. With a life span between 15-22 years in Natural Habitat, the only threat or common enemies are Crocodiles, Alligators, Octopus Birds and Humans.
With thick scales which serves as insulators to their own shocks, only a wounded Eel with a broken scale could Electrocute itself to death while discharging Electric Shocks to Predators. The only Greater threats are Birds of preys which Insulated Legs, Claws and Talons are not affected by the Eel.
A typical Eel doesn't see, they move and hunts with an electrical pulses which functions like Radars during navigations and hunting. Eels breath through their mouths and the whole of their body carries electrolyte cells(Like Batteries) while the upper parts(Just about 20% of the Body) contains the vital organs to sustain it's living.
DAMAGES /DANGERS
From the video above, the Alligator was shocked to stupor if not dead, hence the instances of Electric Eels leaping out of the water and shocking a fully grown horse to death had been recorded. Even though it's shocks to human could be one of the most painful stings in existence, it could still kill an individual if stung in a river or in the Oceans which might result in death by drowning.