Electric eels hunt in packs

According to a recent study published in Ecology and Evolution, electric eel-a snakelike fish don’t always go it alone, but they hunt in packs, similar to wolves, orcas, and some species of tuna.

• The finding, a first among electric fishes, may open the way for new studies to investigate when social predation evolved among fishes.

About Electric eels

• Electric eels are not actually eels. Their scientific classification is closer to carp and catfish.

• The nocturnal electric eel species are found in freshwater habitats in Mexico and South America.

• They get their name from the enormous electrical charge they can generate to stun prey and dissuade predators. One of the new eel species E. voltai, is capable of generating a shock of as much as 860 volts, the most powerful electrical discharge ever discovered in any known animal. Electric eel bodies contain electric organs with about 6,000 specialized cells called electrocytes that store power like tiny batteries.

• There are three recognized species of electric eel: Electrophorus electricus, Electrophorus voltai and Electrophorus varii.

• Electrophorus electricus (E. electricus): It was first described more than 250 years ago by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus. it is found in freshwater habitats in northern Amazon known as the Guiana Shield.

• Electrophorus voltai (E. voltai): It was first discovered in 2019. It is found in the Brazilian Shield. It has been named after Italian physicist and inventor of the electric battery Alessandro Volta.

• Electrophorus varii (E. varii) : It is found in the lowland Amazon Basin.