Electric eels 'Tase' their prey, study finds
Powerful shocks both flush out and immobilize fish
The jolt delivered by an electric eel is similar to that of a Taser, according to research that casts new light on how the high-powered predators stalk and immobilize their prey.
How the eels use electricity has not been entirely understood, until now. But according to a study published earlier this month in the journal Science, the charge causes "whole-body muscle contraction" which immobilizes nearby prey. The shock is upward of 600 volts and one ampere of current.
"Essentially the eel is remotely activating the fishes' nerves … and, remarkably, it's pretty much the same effect as a law-enforcement Taser," said study author Dr. Ken Catania of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, on a recent episode of CBC's Quirks & Quarks.
The hunting eels will also send out less powerful jolts to flush out hidden prey, Catania said. An eel can sense even small muscular twitches its charges cause in other fish.
"It's a really clever hunting mechanism," Catania said.
Click the audio file for the full Quirks & Quarks interview.