Electric eels produce a shock powerful enough to incapacitate a horse. Photo by opencage/CC.
NASHVILLE, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Electric eels are outfitted with natural 'Tasers,' enabling them to shock and stun their prey -- momentarily paralyzing them before sinking their teeth into the frozen fish.
During a nine-month study, biologists at Vanderbilt University observed and measured the electroshock system of electric eels in action. They found the scaleless Amazonian fish is capable of high-voltage discharges strong enough to incapacitate a grown horse -- not the miniature underwater version, but the the 1,000-pound land mammal.
More specifically, scientists found that the average six-foot eel can generate generate roughly 600 volts of electricity.
Obviously, scientists have known about electric fish for a long time. But the latest study offered scientists one of the most in-depth looks yet at the eel's weaponry. Among the more interesting discoveries scientist found is the fact that the eel uses weaker electric pulses to locate its prey -- similar to the way bats or dolphins use echolocation.
Once located, the eel queues up its high-voltage shock system, emitting a series of super strong electrical pulses. Scientists liken it to a Taser.
"It's amazing. The eel can totally inactivate its prey in just three milliseconds. The fish are completely paralyzed," Vanderbilt University biologist Kenneth Catania, lead author of the new study, explained in a press release.
"A Taser delivers 19 high-voltage pulses per second while the electric eel produces 400 pulses per second," Catania explained. "I have some friends in law enforcement, so I was familiar with how a Taser works. And I was struck by the similarity between the eel's volley and a Taser discharge."
The eel study was published this week in the journal Science.
"Fish are amazing escape artists," Catania told National Geographic. "If the electric eel didn't have this capability, it would have a really hard time catching something to eat."
