The electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) is an electric fish, and the only species of the genus Electrophorus. It is capable of generating powerful electric shocks of up to 600 volts, which it uses for hunting and self-defense. It is an apex predator in its South American range. Despite its name, it is not an eel, but rather a knifefish.
Read more about Electric Eel: Anatomy, Physiology, In Zoos and Private Collections, Taxonomic History
Famous quotes containing the word electric:
“Flabby, bald, lobotomized,
he drifted in a sheepish calm,
where no agonizing reappraisal
jarred his concentration of the electric chair—
hanging like an oasis in his air
of lost connections. . . .”
—Robert Lowell (1917–1977)