Natures wonders: Eels living tasers (Introduction)

by David Turell , Saturday, December 06, 2014, 15:44 (3638 days ago) @ David Turell

600 volts, five times what is in an American socket, 2 1/2 European!-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141204140610.htm-"The electric eel -- the scaleless Amazonian fish that can deliver an electrical jolt strong enough to knock down a full-grown horse -- possesses an electroshock system uncannily similar to a Taser. That is the conclusion of a nine-month study of the way in which the electric eel uses high-voltage electrical discharges to locate and incapacitate its prey."-"'If you take a step back and think about it, what the eel can do is extremely remarkable," said Catania. "It can use its electrical system to take remote control of its prey's body. If a fish is hiding nearby, the eel can force it to twitch, giving away its location, and if the eel is ready to capture a fish, it can paralyze it so it can't escape.'"