electric eel facts for kids

Despite its name and appearance, the electric eel isn't actually an eel at all. Then a person can touch it without being shocked. The electric eel is known for its unusual breeding behavior. Electric eels have been shown to curl their bodies around larger or more elusive prey. The term "eel" is also used for some other similarly shaped fish, such as electric eels and spiny eels, but these are not members of the Anguilliformes order. Reaching up to eight feet in length, this can be one monstrous fish! They have no scales. That strategy has the effect of doubling the strength of the electric field between the electric eel’s positive pole (which is located near the head) and its negative pole (which is located near the tail). Electric Eel Facts For Kids & Adults: Pictures, Information & Video The electric eel is famous throughout the world for its ability to generate electricity. Their scientific classification is closer to carp and catfish. The electric eel lives in freshwater habitats. First-born hatchlings eat other eggs and embryos from later clutches. Electric Eel Facts & Trivia for kids Despite the name the Electric Eel is not an eel. Electric eels aren’t eels. Electric eels are solitary animals (live on their own). Electricity makes the muscles in our heart contract. It is often found in muddy, slow-moving water low in oxygen – hence its ability to ‘breathe’ air. E. electricus has a well-developed sense of hearing. To locate prey, it sends out weak electrical signals that help it to sense its environment, a bit like radar. So instead of using eyes, electric eels emit a weak electric signal, which they use like radar to navigate, to find a mate, and to find prey. The nerves in our bodies carry small electrical currents. In the dry season, a male eel makes a nest from his saliva into which the female lays her eggs. Yes! Eels live in shallow waters or hide at the bottom of the oceans in holes which are called eel pits. The electric eel is also known for its unusual breeding behaviour. Electric eel has been named so as it has a snake-like long and cylindrical body resembling eels. Electric eels can use these discharges to electrocute other fish, and to give humans a … Although electric eels have the power to be the bullies of the Amazon, they are actually not very aggressive animals. The Electric Eel Is Not an Eel. They are carnivores (meat-eaters) that eat other fish, amphibians, birds and small mammals. The electric discharge from an electric eel can be stronger than 500 volts. Electric eels are truly electric. The juveniles eat invertebrates, such as shrimp and crabs. They are more closely related to carp and catfish. Electric Eel Facts & Trivia for kids Despite the name the Electric Eel is not an eel. Their coloration is dark gray-brown on the back and yellow or orange on the belly. Electric Eel. Eels are fishes that look like snakes. These young electric eels feed mainly on invertebrates found on the river bed, however, first-born baby electric eels have been known to gobble up the eggs from batches of other electric eels that were laid only a short time after themselves. It can weigh up to six pounds. Their coloration is dark gray-brown on the back and yellow or orange on the belly. Made in the UK. Facts about Electric Eels 6: the voltage The voltage produced by the electric eels can reach 860 watts and 860 volts for 2 milliseconds. Now that’s shocking! Electric Eels Facts. Electric Eels live in freshwater river basins and areas in South America. Includes comprehension questions, vocabulary words, and a writing prompt. The electric eel has an elongated, cylindrical body, typically growing to about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in length, and 20 kg (44 lb) in weight, making them the largest species of the Gymnotiformes. It produces two types of electrical discharge: low voltage and high voltage. The eel uses its shock to stun prey and keep predators at bay. Electric eels have poor eyesight, and they rely on other senses to find food, which includes other fish since the eel is a carnivore (meat eater). Electric Eel Facts and Information Electrophorus electricus Introduction to Electric Eel. It can give electric shocks of up to six hundred fifty watts of electricity. Electric eel, firefly and gecko. The eel uses the … The electric eel is an apex predator in the parts of South America where it lives. The anal fin extends the length of the body to the tip of the tail. The scientific name of electric eel is electrophorus electricus. Because they can shock, very few of these fish are kept as pets. It can offer very powerful electric shocks. … Male electric eels are much smaller than the females. Eels can live for 70 years or more – depending on the specie though most species of eel don’t live for more than 30 years. Did you know an electric eel is a fish that can make electricity? The rest is … The electric eel, electrophorus electricus, is not technically an eel but a different … It lives in the stagnant muddy river bottoms of the Orinoco and the Amazon, and uses low-voltage electric fields to find its prey. Electric Eels live in freshwater river basins and areas in South America. Despite their appearance, electric eels aren’t actually eels at all! Electric Eels are capable of stunning a human with their powerful electric shocks. The direction of wave is not a big deal for an … Electric eels inhabit fresh waters of the Amazon and Orinoco River basins in South America, in floodplains, swamps, creeks, small rivers, and coastal plains. Kids will learn all about mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, and fish. Body. It depends on large organs that take … 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Even though its name suggests it is an eel, it is not. That’s pretty cool. The maximum weight on an electric eel is six pounds. The electric eel has an elongated, cylindrical body, typically growing to about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in length, and 20 kg (44 lb) in weight, making them the largest species of the Gymnotiformes. It can give electric shocks of up to six hundred fifty watts of electricity. The mouth is square, and positioned at the end of the snout. Despite its name, it is not an eel at all but rather a knifefish. Electric eels can produce strong electric shocks of around 500 volts. The electric eel isn’t an eel at all. Group of eels is called swarm. Researchers at Yale University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology argue artificial cells could be built that not only replicate the electrical behavior of electric eel cells, but also improve on them. Learn interesting facts about electric eels in this reading comprehension article. If you touch its body, you can get a shock. Rather, it's a very close relative of the catfish. The shock of an electric eel has been known to knock a horse off its feet. They may look like a snake, but they aren’t even a real eel. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Electric eels can grow up to 8 feet (2.5 meters) in length. All of an electric eel’s vital organs are crammed into the front 20 percent of its body. As in other ostariophysan fishes, the swim bladder has two chambers. This fish has a vascularized respiratory system with gas exchange occurring through epithelial tissue in its buccal cavity. This makes sense, because the muddy water is very low in oxygen, and it needs oxygen to power its electric organs. First, let's take a quick look at this animal. Adult electric eels are generalist carnivores, eating fish, crustaceans, insects and small vertebrates, such as amphibians, reptiles and mammals. ... * EELS * | Animals For Kids Quality, educational videos for kids. It is the only species in the genus Electrophorus, or able to produce electricity. A firefly glows in the dark because it has a chemical on its body called luciferin. Despite its name, the electric eel is not an eel. Electric Eels are capable of stunning a human with their powerful electric shocks. EEL FACT SHEET Although eels look like snakes, they are fish and belong to the order Anguilliformes, of which there are about 800 species. Mature females have a darker color on the belly. Female Electric Eels are much larger than males. As many as 3,000 young hatch from the eggs in one nest. swimming ability. Juveniles feed primarily on invertebrates, and newly hatched electric eels will eat remaining, unhatched eggs. The electric charge is produced by special organs along the sides of the eel’s body. The electric eel is a South American freshwater fish found mainly in the Amazon River basin. Its electric organs evolved from muscles, and make up four fifths of its body. Made in the UK. It lurks in muddy, murky bodies of water such as swamps, ponds, streams and river basins in South America. Eels have a unique swimming ability. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/electric-eel.html. The most important fact to know about electric eels is that, unlike the … Their long and cylindrical body can be white, black, blue, purple or grey in color. The electric eel, Electrophorus electricus, is a species of fish. Artificial versions of the eel's electricity-generating cells could be developed as a power source for medical implants and other microscopic devices. Other fish, such as electric eels, have special cells in their body that produce strong electric discharges. It is a knifefish. The animal uses these shocks both for hunting and to defend itself. Keeping electric eels in captivity is difficult and mostly limited to zoos and aquaria, although a few hobbyists have kept them as pets. Electric eels have three pairs of electric … The anterior chamber is connected to the inner ear by a series of small bones derived from neck vertebrae called the Weberian apparatus, which greatly enhances its hearing capability. Electricity-producing organ takes 80% of their body. Once prey is found, electric eels will use a much stronger shock to stun prey, usually smaller fish. They are closely related to the Catfish. Although electric eels have the power to be the bullies of the Amazon, they are actually not very aggressive animals. They have no scales. An electric eel is not exactly an eel. There are hundreds of different species, or types, of eel. They belong to a large group of fishes called the eel order. In addition to defense, electric eels use their shocking power to hunt. Despite its name, the electric eel is not closely related to the true eels (Anguilliformes), but is a member of the neotropical knifefish order (Gymnotiformes), which is more closely related to the catfish. In some flooded forest habitats, electric eels account for a large proportion of the fish biomass. The fish's electric organs eventually become completely discharged, allowing the collector to wade into the water in comparative safety. Because electric eels can shock, very few of them are kept as pets. It is no easy feat for the electric eel to create its own electricity. This means it usually has no enemies except other animals of its own species. Electric eels are nocturnal, live in muddy, dark waters, and have poor eyesight. As in other ostariophysan fishes, the swim bladder h… Named Miguel Wattson, the eel's exhibit is wired to a small computer that sends out a prewritten tweet when it emits electricity at a high enough threshold. Female Electric Eels are much larger than males. The Electric Eel is a fascinating creature, and one that allows electric currents to be able to be generated. Electric eels are air breathers and must come to the water’s surface frequently. They are able to produce an electric charge which they use to hunt as well as scare off predators. In fact, it’s a 2.5m (8ft) long fish. In the dry season, a male electric eel makes a nest from his saliva into which the female electric eel lays her eggs. The electric eel then delivers a series of shocks that occur at one-millisecond intervals. Some eels live in places that have freshwater such as ponds, rivers and … Mature females have a darker color on the belly. It is a species of Knifefish. The anal fin extends the length of the body to the tip of the tail. But if the eel repeatedly shocks, its electric organs become completely discharged. However, it … 3rd Grade. 4th Grade. Habitats: Where Eels Live. Nearly eighty percent of the oxygen used by the fish is obtained in this way. * EELS * | Animals For Kids Quality, educational videos for kids. These electrical currents send … It can kill animals larger than the eel itself. Electric Eel Facts: Habitat The electric eel lives in freshwater lakes, streams and small rivers. This page was last modified on 5 December 2020, at 11:42. They often live on muddy bottoms in calm or stagnant waters. It is an obligatory air breather (must breath air). The Tennessee Aquarium in the United States is home to an electric eel that uses its electrical discharges to post from its own Twitter account. As obligate air-breathers, electric eels must rise to the surface every ten minutes or so to inhale before returning to the bottom. It is a species of Knifefish. It is a knifefish. Eels are Fish. Electric eels can reach 8 feet in length and weigh up to 44 pounds. Electric eels feed on invertebrates, although adult eels may also consume fish and small mammals, such as rats. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- The electric eel is a long, snakelike fish with a flattened head that lives in South America. It can also produce sudden jolts of electricity, powerful enough to kill other fish. As many as 17,000 young electric eels will hatch from the eggs in one nest. Eels are elongated fish, ranging in length from 5 centimeters (2 inches) in the one-jawed eel (Monognathus ahlstromi) to 4 meters (13 feet) in the slender giant moray. The mouth is square, and positioned at the end of the snout. They use this to hunt and to protect themselves too. Their long and cylindrical body can be white, black, blue, purple or grey in colour. All rights reserved. This causes the heart to pump blood around our bodies. The posterior chamber extends along the whole length of the body and maintains the fish's buoyancy. View PDF. These fish have always been sought after by some animal collectors, but catching them is difficult, because the only reasonable option is to make the eels tired by continually discharging their electricity. Electric eels sure are electric, but did you know they're not really eels? It can kill animals larger than itself. Electric eels have an electrical current of about 500V, for protection and hunting. A popular way … Due to the very short duration of the electric shock, the possibility is very low for an adult human to be dead when being shocked by the electric eel. It is closely related to a knifefish or catfish. It has very poor eyesight but relies on it…

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