Where do electric eels get their electricity from?

This creates a transient path with low electrical resistance connecting the inside and the outside of one side of the cell. ... read more

If the eel lived in air, the current could be as high as one ampere, turning the creature's body into the equivalent of a 500-volt battery. But eels live in water, which provides additional outlets for the current. read more

The electric eel has three pairs of abdominal organs that produce electricity: the main organ, the Hunter's organ, and the Sach's organ. These organs make up four fifths of its body, and give the electric eel the ability to generate two types of electric organ discharges: low voltage and high voltage. read more

A standard car battery generates 12 volts, so an electric eel has 50 times the shocking power of a car battery (though with less amperage). Despite their name, electric eels aren’t actually eels (Anguilliformes). Native to South America, the eel-like fish are actually knifefish, in the Gymnotiformes order. read more