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76-442: The electric eels are a genus , Electrophorus , of neotropical freshwater fish from South America in the family Gymnotidae . They are known for their ability to stun their prey by generating electricity , delivering shocks at up to 860 volts . Their electrical capabilities were first studied in 1775, contributing to the invention in 1800 of the electric battery . Despite their name, electric eels are not closely related to

152-641: A clade of strongly electric fishes within the order Gymnotiformes , the South American knifefishes. Electric eels are thus not closely related to the true eels ( Anguilliformes ). The lineage of the Electrophorus genus is estimated to have split from its sister taxon Gymnotus sometime in the Cretaceous . Most knifefishes are weakly electric, capable of active electrolocation but not of delivering shocks. Their relationships, as shown in

228-557: A species : see Botanical name and Specific name (zoology) . The rules for the scientific names of organisms are laid down in the nomenclature codes , which allow each species a single unique name that, for animals (including protists ), plants (also including algae and fungi ) and prokaryotes ( bacteria and archaea ), is Latin and binomial in form; this contrasts with common or vernacular names , which are non-standardized, can be non-unique, and typically also vary by country and language of usage. Except for viruses ,

304-469: A body length of around 70 cm (2 ft 4 in). The adults provide prolonged parental care lasting four months. E. electricus and E. voltai , the two upland species which live in fast-flowing rivers, appear to make less use of parental care. The male provides protection for both the young and the nest. Captive specimens have sometimes lived for over 20 years. As the fish grow, they continually add more vertebrae to their spinal column. The main organ

380-418: A calculated selection of conductors at nanoscopic scale . Such cells would use ion transport as electrocytes do, with a greater output power density , and converting energy more efficiently . They suggest that such artificial electrocytes could be developed as a power source for medical implants such as retinal prostheses and other microscopic devices. They comment that the work "has mapped out changes in

456-461: A far higher current. The electric eel produces its strong discharge extremely rapidly, at a rate of as much as 500 Hertz , meaning that each shock lasts only about two milliseconds. To generate a high voltage, an electric eel stacks some 6,000 electrocytes in series (longitudinally) in its main organ; the organ contains some 35 such stacks in parallel, on each side of the body. The ability to produce high-voltage, high-frequency pulses in addition enables

532-651: A later homonym of a validly published name is a nomen illegitimum or nom. illeg. ; for a full list refer to the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants and the work cited above by Hawksworth, 2010. In place of the "valid taxon" in zoology, the nearest equivalent in botany is " correct name " or "current name" which can, again, differ or change with alternative taxonomic treatments or new information that results in previously accepted genera being combined or split. Prokaryote and virus codes of nomenclature also exist which serve as

608-628: A long time and redescribed as new by a range of subsequent workers, or if a range of genera previously considered separate taxa have subsequently been consolidated into one. For example, the World Register of Marine Species presently lists 8 genus-level synonyms for the sperm whale genus Physeter Linnaeus, 1758, and 13 for the bivalve genus Pecten O.F. Müller, 1776. Within the same kingdom, one generic name can apply to one genus only. However, many names have been assigned (usually unintentionally) to two or more different genera. For example,

684-418: A newly defined genus should fulfill these three criteria to be descriptively useful: Moreover, genera should be composed of phylogenetic units of the same kind as other (analogous) genera. The term "genus" comes from Latin genus , a noun form cognate with gignere ('to bear; to give birth to'). The Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus popularized its use in his 1753 Species Plantarum , but

760-399: A potential difference across cell membranes. The maximum discharge from the main organ is at least 600 volts , making electric eels the most powerful of all electric fishes. Freshwater fishes like the electric eel require a high voltage to give a strong shock because freshwater has high resistance ; powerful marine electric fishes like the torpedo ray give a shock at much lower voltage but

836-409: A reference for designating currently accepted genus names as opposed to others which may be either reduced to synonymy, or, in the case of prokaryotes, relegated to a status of "names without standing in prokaryotic nomenclature". An available (zoological) or validly published (botanical) name that has been historically applied to a genus but is not regarded as the accepted (current/valid) name for

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912-427: A separate set of ion channels. By causing a sudden difference in electric potential , it generates an electric current in a manner similar to a battery , in which cells are stacked to produce a desired total voltage output. It has been suggested that Sachs' organ is used for electrolocation; its discharge is of nearly 10 volts at a frequency of around 25 Hz. The main organ, supported by Hunter's organ in some way,

988-475: A severe shock." The studies by Williamson, Walsh, and Hunter appear to have influenced the thinking of Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta . Galvani founded electrophysiology , with research into how electricity makes a frog's leg twitch; Volta began electrochemistry , with his invention of the electric battery . In 1800, the explorer Alexander von Humboldt joined a group of indigenous people who went fishing with horses, some thirty of which they chased into

1064-480: A shoal of tetras , then herding them and launching joint strikes on the closely packed fish. The other species, E. varii , is also a fish predator ; it preys especially on Callichthyidae (armoured catfishes) and Cichlidae (cichlids). Electric eels have long, stout bodies, being somewhat cylindrical at the front but more flattened towards the tail end. E. electricus can reach 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in length, and 20 kg (44 lb) in weight. The mouth

1140-558: A significant fraction of the biomass in the areas they inhabit. These fish originate from fresh water in Panama and South America . The Hypopomidae are confined to the humid neotropics, ranging the Río de la Plata of Argentina (35°S) to the Río Tuira of Panama (8°N). Hypopomids are known from the continental waters of all South American countries except Chile , and are most diverse in

1216-427: A taxon; however, the names published in suppressed works are made unavailable via the relevant Opinion dealing with the work in question. In botany, similar concepts exist but with different labels. The botanical equivalent of zoology's "available name" is a validly published name . An invalidly published name is a nomen invalidum or nom. inval. ; a rejected name is a nomen rejiciendum or nom. rej. ;

1292-455: A total of c. 520,000 published names (including synonyms) as at end 2019, increasing at some 2,500 published generic names per year. "Official" registers of taxon names at all ranks, including genera, exist for a few groups only such as viruses and prokaryotes, while for others there are compendia with no "official" standing such as Index Fungorum for fungi, Index Nominum Algarum and AlgaeBase for algae, Index Nominum Genericorum and

1368-403: Is at the front of the snout, and opens upwards . They have smooth, thick, brown-to-black skin with a yellow or red underbelly and no scales . The pectoral fins each possess eight tiny radial bones at the tip. They have over 100 precaudal vertebrae (excluding the tail), whereas other gymnotids have up to 51 of these; there can be as many as 300 vertebrae in total. There is no clear boundary between

1444-612: Is discouraged by both the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants , there are some five thousand such names in use in more than one kingdom. For instance, A list of generic homonyms (with their authorities), including both available (validly published) and selected unavailable names, has been compiled by the Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera (IRMNG). The type genus forms

1520-403: Is expelled through the skin. These fish can survive on land for some hours if their skin is wet enough. Electric eels have small eyes and poor vision. They are capable of hearing via a Weberian apparatus , which consists of tiny bones connecting the inner ear to the swim bladder . All of the vital organs are packed in near the front of the animal, taking up only 20% of space and sequestered from

1596-641: Is in records by the Jesuit priest Fernão Cardim in 1583. The naturalists Bertrand Bajon, a French military surgeon in French Guiana , and the Jesuit Ramón M. Termeyer  [ pl ] in the River Plate basin , conducted early experiments on the numbing discharges of electric eels in the 1760s. In 1775, the "torpedo" (the electric ray) was studied by John Walsh ; both fish were dissected by

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1672-407: Is needed. When an electric eel identifies prey, its brain sends a nerve signal to the electric organ; the nerve cells involved release the neurotransmitter chemical acetylcholine to trigger an electric organ discharge. This opens ion channels , allowing sodium to flow into the electrocytes, reversing the polarity momentarily. The discharge is terminated by an outflow of potassium ions through

1748-402: Is produced just once, for less than 2 milliseconds, after the low-voltage discharge of Sachs's organ and before the high-voltage discharge of the main organ. They believed that this is insufficient to stimulate a response from the prey, so they suggested it may have the function of co-ordination within the electric eel's body, perhaps by balancing the electrical charge, but state that more research

1824-460: Is somewhat arbitrary. Although all species within a genus are supposed to be "similar", there are no objective criteria for grouping species into genera. There is much debate among zoologists about whether enormous, species-rich genera should be maintained, as it is extremely difficult to come up with identification keys or even character sets that distinguish all species. Hence, many taxonomists argue in favor of breaking down large genera. For instance,

1900-474: Is the type species , and the generic name is permanently associated with the type specimen of its type species. Should the specimen turn out to be assignable to another genus, the generic name linked to it becomes a junior synonym and the remaining taxa in the former genus need to be reassessed. In zoological usage, taxonomic names, including those of genera, are classified as "available" or "unavailable". Available names are those published in accordance with

1976-452: Is the first electric organ to develop, followed by Sachs' organ and then Hunter's organ. All the electric organs are differentiated by the time the body reaches a length of 23 cm (9.1 in). Electric eels are able to produce electrical discharges when they are as small as 7 cm (2.8 in). The first written mention of the electric eel or puraké ('the one that numbs' in Tupi )

2052-537: Is used to stun prey or to deter predators; it can emit signals at rates of several hundred hertz. Electric eels can concentrate the discharge to stun prey more effectively by curling up and making contact with the prey at two points along the body. It has also been suggested that electric eels can control their prey's nervous systems and muscles via electrical pulses, keeping prey from escaping, or forcing it to move so they can locate it, but this has been disputed. In self-defence , electric eels have been observed to leap from

2128-516: The Amazon Basin . Teeth are absent on the oral jaws. Unlike the closely related Rhamphichthyidae , species of this family do not have a tubular snout, but a blunt, short one. Also, the nostrils are well separated. This family contains the smallest gymnotiforms, Microsternarchus brevis and Hypopygus hoedemani , which reach a maximum total length of 5.3 cm (2.1 in) and 5.9 cm (2.3 in) respectively. Most other species in

2204-456: The Electrophorus genus with the family Gymnotidae , alongside Gymnotus , as did Ferraris and colleagues in 2017. In 2019, C. David de Santana and colleagues divided E. electricus into three species based on DNA divergence, ecology and habitat, anatomy and physiology, and electrical ability. The three species are E. electricus (now in a narrower sense than before), and the two new species E. voltai and E. varii . Electric eels form

2280-643: The Guiana Shield , while E. voltai is southern, ranging from the Brazilian shield northwards; both species live in upland waters. E. varii is central, largely in the lowlands. The lowland region of E. varii is a variable environment, with habitats ranging from streams through grassland and ravines to ponds, and large changes in water level between the wet and dry seasons . All live on muddy river bottoms and sometimes swamps, favouring areas in deep shade. They can tolerate water low in oxygen as they swim to

2356-621: The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ; the earliest such name for any taxon (for example, a genus) should then be selected as the " valid " (i.e., current or accepted) name for the taxon in question. Consequently, there will be more available names than valid names at any point in time; which names are currently in use depending on the judgement of taxonomists in either combining taxa described under multiple names, or splitting taxa which may bring available names previously treated as synonyms back into use. "Unavailable" names in zoology comprise names that either were not published according to

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2432-824: The International Plant Names Index for plants in general, and ferns through angiosperms, respectively, and Nomenclator Zoologicus and the Index to Organism Names for zoological names. Totals for both "all names" and estimates for "accepted names" as held in the Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera (IRMNG) are broken down further in the publication by Rees et al., 2020 cited above. The accepted names estimates are as follows, broken down by kingdom: The cited ranges of uncertainty arise because IRMNG lists "uncertain" names (not researched therein) in addition to known "accepted" names;

2508-404: The platypus belongs to the genus Ornithorhynchus although George Shaw named it Platypus in 1799 (these two names are thus synonyms ) . However, the name Platypus had already been given to a group of ambrosia beetles by Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst in 1793. A name that means two different things is a homonym . Since beetles and platypuses are both members of the kingdom Animalia,

2584-614: The American physician and politician Hugh Williamson , who had studied with Hunter, presented a paper "Experiments and observations on the Gymnotus Electricus, or electric eel" at the Royal Society. He reported a series of experiments, such as "7. In order to discover whether the eel killed those fish by an emission of the same [electrical] fluid with which he affected my hand when I had touched him, I put my hand into

2660-473: The French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656–1708) is considered "the founder of the modern concept of genera". The scientific name (or the scientific epithet) of a genus is also called the generic name ; in modern style guides and science, it is always capitalised. It plays a fundamental role in binomial nomenclature , the system of naming organisms , where it is combined with the scientific name of

2736-402: The bank of the pond", and were easily caught using small harpoons on ropes. Humboldt recorded that the people did not eat the electric organs, and that they feared the fish so much that they would not fish for them in the usual way. In 1839, the chemist Michael Faraday extensively tested the electrical properties of an electric eel imported from Surinam. For a span of four months, he measured

2812-442: The base for higher taxonomic ranks, such as the family name Canidae ("Canids") based on Canis . However, this does not typically ascend more than one or two levels: the order to which dogs and wolves belong is Carnivora ("Carnivores"). The numbers of either accepted, or all published genus names is not known precisely; Rees et al., 2020 estimate that approximately 310,000 accepted names (valid taxa) may exist, out of

2888-424: The body, for hunting other knifefish. Electric eels have three pairs of electric organs , arranged longitudinally: the main organ, Hunter's organ, and Sachs' organ. These organs give electric eels the ability to generate two types of electric organ discharges : low voltage and high voltage. The organs are made of electrocytes , modified from muscle cells . Like muscle cells, the electric eel's electrocytes contain

2964-405: The breeding season, making them fractional spawners. When they reach 15 mm (0.59 in), the hatched larvae consume any leftover eggs, and after they reach 9 cm (3.5 in) they begin to eat other foods. Electric eels are sexually dimorphic , males becoming reproductively active at 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) in length and growing larger than females; females start to reproduce at

3040-898: The cladogram, were analysed by sequencing their mitochondrial DNA in 2019. Actively electrolocating fish are marked with a small yellow lightning flash [REDACTED] . Fish able to deliver electric shocks are marked with a red lightning flash [REDACTED] . Siluriformes (catfish) ( some [REDACTED] [REDACTED] ) [REDACTED] Apteronotidae (ghost knifefishes) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Hypopomidae (bluntnose knifefishes) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Rhamphichthyidae (sand knifefishes) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Gymnotus (banded knifefishes) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Electrophorus (electric eels) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Sternopygidae (glass knifefishes) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] ( piranhas , tetras , and allies) [REDACTED] There are three described species in

3116-452: The electric eel to electrolocate rapidly moving prey. The total electric current delivered during each pulse can reach about 1 ampere . It remains unclear why electric eels have three electric organs but basically produce two types of discharge, to electrolocate or to stun. In 2021, Jun Xu and colleagues stated that Hunter's organ produces a third type of discharge at a middle voltage of 38.5 to 56.5 volts. Their measurements indicate that this

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3192-430: The electric eel; he took with him a galvanometer and electrodes to measure the fish's electric organ discharge, and used rubber gloves to enable him to catch the fish without being shocked, to the surprise of the local people. He published his research on the fish, including his discovery of what is now called Sachs' organ, in 1877. The large quantity of electrocytes available in the electric eel enabled biologists to study

3268-450: The electric organs. Electric eels can locate their prey using electroreceptors derived from the lateral line organ in the head. The lateral line itself is mechanosensory , enabling them to sense water movements created by animals nearby. The lateral line canals are beneath the skin, but their position is visible as lines of pits on the head. Electric eels use their high frequency-sensitive tuberous receptors , distributed in patches over

3344-401: The electrical impulses produced by the animal by pressing shaped copper paddles and saddles against the specimen. Through this method, he determined and quantified the direction and magnitude of electric current, and proved that the animal's impulses were electrical by observing sparks and deflections on a galvanometer . He observed the electric eel increasing the shock by coiling about its prey,

3420-757: The family are also relatively small, less than 25 cm (10 in) long, although the largest, certain Brachyhypopomus , Hypopomus and Steatogenys , are up to 40–50 cm (16–20 in). These fish have extremely small eyes — smaller in diameter than the distance between their nares. The long anal fin originates below or posterior to their pectoral fins, and no caudal fin is present. The electric organ discharge (EOD) of these fish are multiphasic (usually biphasic), and are produced in distinct pulses. Certain predators, such as catfish and predatory knifefish, are able to detect these EODs and use this to their advantage in finding prey. However, species in

3496-446: The form "author, year" in zoology, and "standard abbreviated author name" in botany. Thus in the examples above, the genus Canis would be cited in full as " Canis Linnaeus, 1758" (zoological usage), while Hibiscus , also first established by Linnaeus but in 1753, is simply " Hibiscus L." (botanical usage). Each genus should have a designated type , although in practice there is a backlog of older names without one. In zoology, this

3572-737: The generic name (or its abbreviated form) still forms the leading portion of the scientific name, for example, Canis lupus lupus for the Eurasian wolf subspecies, or as a botanical example, Hibiscus arnottianus ssp. immaculatus . Also, as visible in the above examples, the Latinised portions of the scientific names of genera and their included species (and infraspecies, where applicable) are, by convention, written in italics . The scientific names of virus species are descriptive, not binomial in form, and may or may not incorporate an indication of their containing genus; for example,

3648-418: The genus Brachyhypopomus restrict the low-frequency spectrum of their electric field close to their bodies, allowing higher frequencies to spread further; this makes it more difficult for predators to detect them. According to FishBase there are nine genera in this family, but a molecular study in 2011 showed that one of these (marked with number sign# in list) should be subsumed into Hypopygus , and

3724-459: The genus, not differing significantly in body shape or coloration: E. varii appears to have diverged from the other species around 7.1 mya during the late Miocene , while E. electricus and E. voltai may have split around 3.6 mya during the Pliocene . The three species have largely non-overlapping distributions in the northern part of South America. E. electricus is northern, confined to

3800-470: The gymnotids, the buccal cavity is lined with a frilled mucosa which has a rich blood supply, enabling gas exchange between the air and the blood. About every two minutes, the fish takes in air through the mouth, holds it in the buccal cavity, and expels it through the opercular openings at the sides of the head. Unlike in other air-breathing fish, the tiny gills of electric eels do not ventilate when taking in air. The majority of carbon dioxide produced

3876-488: The head. In 1864, Theodore Gill moved the electric eel to its own genus, Electrophorus . The name is from the Greek ήλεκτρον ( ḗlektron ' amber , a substance able to hold static electricity '), and φέρω ( phérō 'I carry'), giving the meaning 'electricity bearer'. In 1872, Gill decided that the electric eel was sufficiently distinct to have its own family, Electrophoridae. In 1998, Albert and Campos-da-Paz lumped

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3952-633: The largest component, with 23,236 ± 5,379 accepted genus names, of which 20,845 ± 4,494 are angiosperms (superclass Angiospermae). By comparison, the 2018 annual edition of the Catalogue of Life (estimated >90% complete, for extant species in the main) contains currently 175,363 "accepted" genus names for 1,744,204 living and 59,284 extinct species, also including genus names only (no species) for some groups. The number of species in genera varies considerably among taxonomic groups. For instance, among (non-avian) reptiles , which have about 1180 genera,

4028-541: The lizard genus Anolis has been suggested to be broken down into 8 or so different genera which would bring its ~400 species to smaller, more manageable subsets. Hypopomidae See text The Hypopomidae are a family of fishes in the order Gymnotiformes known as the bluntnose knifefish . They may also be called grass or leaf knifefishes. These electric fish are not often eaten, of little commercial importance, rarely kept as aquarium fish, and poorly studied; however, species in this family may constitute

4104-403: The most (>300) have only 1 species, ~360 have between 2 and 4 species, 260 have 5–10 species, ~200 have 11–50 species, and only 27 genera have more than 50 species. However, some insect genera such as the bee genera Lasioglossum and Andrena have over 1000 species each. The largest flowering plant genus, Astragalus , contains over 3,000 species. Which species are assigned to a genus

4180-428: The name could not be used for both. Johann Friedrich Blumenbach published the replacement name Ornithorhynchus in 1800. However, a genus in one kingdom is allowed to bear a scientific name that is in use as a generic name (or the name of a taxon in another rank) in a kingdom that is governed by a different nomenclature code. Names with the same form but applying to different taxa are called "homonyms". Although this

4256-465: The prey fish "representing a diameter" across the coil. He likened the quantity of electric charge released by the fish to "the electricity of a Leyden battery of fifteen jars, containing 23,000 cm (3,500 sq in) of glass coated on both sides, charged to its highest degree". The German zoologist Carl Sachs was sent to Latin America by the physiologist Emil du Bois-Reymond , to study

4332-451: The proteins actin and desmin , but where muscle cell proteins form a dense structure of parallel fibrils , in electrocytes they form a loose network. Five different forms of desmin occur in electrocytes, compared to two or three in muscle, but its function in electrocytes remained unknown as of 2017. Potassium channel proteins involved in electric organ discharge, including KCNA1 , KCNH6 , and KCNJ12 , are distributed differently among

4408-541: The provisions of the ICZN Code, e.g., incorrect original or subsequent spellings, names published only in a thesis, and generic names published after 1930 with no type species indicated. According to "Glossary" section of the zoological Code, suppressed names (per published "Opinions" of the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature) remain available but cannot be used as the valid name for

4484-500: The species now defined as Electrophorus electricus was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1766, based on early field research by Europeans in South America and specimens sent back to Europe for study, he used the name Gymnotus electricus , placing it in the same genus as Gymnotus carapo (the banded knifefish). He noted that the fish is from the rivers of Surinam , that it causes painful shocks, and that it had small pits around

4560-497: The specific name particular to the wolf. A botanical example would be Hibiscus arnottianus , a particular species of the genus Hibiscus native to Hawaii. The specific name is written in lower-case and may be followed by subspecies names in zoology or a variety of infraspecific names in botany . When the generic name is already known from context, it may be shortened to its initial letter, for example, C. lupus in place of Canis lupus . Where species are further subdivided,

4636-412: The standard format for a species name comprises the generic name, indicating the genus to which the species belongs, followed by the specific epithet, which (within that genus) is unique to the species. For example, the gray wolf 's scientific name is Canis lupus , with Canis ( Latin for 'dog') being the generic name shared by the wolf's close relatives and lupus (Latin for 'wolf') being

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4712-410: The storage devices could serve as power sources for products such as electric watches or light-emitting diodes . Genus The composition of a genus is determined by taxonomists . The standards for genus classification are not strictly codified, so different authorities often produce different classifications for genera. There are some general practices used, however, including the idea that

4788-450: The surface to breathe air. Electric eels are mostly nocturnal . E. voltai mainly eats fish, in particular the armoured catfish Megalechis thoracata . A specimen of E. voltai had a caecilian (a legless amphibian), Typhlonectes compressicauda , in its stomach; it is possible that this means that the species is resistant to the caecilian's toxic skin secretions. E. voltai sometimes hunts in packs; and have been observed targeting

4864-502: The surgeon and anatomist John Hunter . Hunter informed the Royal Society that "Gymnotus Electricus   [...] appears very much like an eel   [...] but it has none of the specific properties of that fish." He observed that there were "two pair of these [electric] organs, a larger [the main organ] and a smaller [Hunter's organ]; one being placed on each side", and that they occupied "perhaps   [...] more than one-third of

4940-543: The system level design of the electrocyte" that could increase both energy density and energy conversion efficiency. In 2009, they made synthetic protocells which can provide about a twentieth of the energy density of a lead–acid battery , and an energy conversion efficiency of 10%. In 2016, Hao Sun and colleagues described a family of electric eel-mimicking devices that serve as high output voltage electrochemical capacitors . These are fabricated as flexible fibres that can be woven into textiles. Sun and colleagues suggest that

5016-448: The tail fin and the anal fin , which extends much of the length of the body on the underside and has over 400 bony rays . Electric eels rely on the wave-like movements of their elongated anal fin to propel themselves through the water. Electric eels get most of their oxygen by breathing air using buccal pumping . This enables them to live in habitats with widely varying oxygen levels including streams, swamps, and pools. Uniquely among

5092-403: The taxon is termed a synonym ; some authors also include unavailable names in lists of synonyms as well as available names, such as misspellings, names previously published without fulfilling all of the requirements of the relevant nomenclatural code, and rejected or suppressed names. A particular genus name may have zero to many synonyms, the latter case generally if the genus has been known for

5168-531: The three electric organs: most such proteins are most abundant in the main organ and least abundant in Sachs's organ, but KCNH6 is most abundant in Sachs's organ. The main organ and Hunter's organ are rich in the protein calmodulin , involved in controlling calcium ion levels. Calmodulin and calcium help to regulate the voltage-gated sodium channels that create the electrical discharge. These organs are also rich in sodium potassium ATPase , an ion pump used to create

5244-652: The true eels ( Anguilliformes ) but are members of the electroreceptive knifefish order , Gymnotiformes . This order is more closely related to catfish . In 2019, electric eels were split into three species: for more than two centuries before that, the genus was believed to be monotypic , containing only Electrophorus electricus . They are nocturnal, obligate air-breathing animals, with poor vision complemented by electrolocation ; they mainly eat fish. Electric eels grow for as long as they live, adding more vertebrae to their spinal column. Males are larger than females. Some captive specimens have lived for over 20 years. When

5320-576: The values quoted are the mean of "accepted" names alone (all "uncertain" names treated as unaccepted) and "accepted + uncertain" names (all "uncertain" names treated as accepted), with the associated range of uncertainty indicating these two extremes. Within Animalia, the largest phylum is Arthropoda , with 151,697 ± 33,160 accepted genus names, of which 114,387 ± 27,654 are insects (class Insecta). Within Plantae, Tracheophyta (vascular plants) make up

5396-429: The virus species " Salmonid herpesvirus 1 ", " Salmonid herpesvirus 2 " and " Salmonid herpesvirus 3 " are all within the genus Salmonivirus ; however, the genus to which the species with the formal names " Everglades virus " and " Ross River virus " are assigned is Alphavirus . As with scientific names at other ranks, in all groups other than viruses, names of genera may be cited with their authorities, typically in

5472-413: The voltage-gated sodium channel in molecular detail. The channel is an important mechanism, as it serves to trigger muscle contraction in many species, but it is hard to study in muscle as it is found in extremely small amounts. In 2008, Jian Xu and David Lavan designed artificial cells that would be able to replicate the electrical behaviour of electric eel electrocytes. The artificial electrocytes would use

5548-535: The water to deliver electric shocks to animals that might pose a threat. The shocks from leaping electric eels are powerful enough to drive away animals as large as horses. Electric eels reproduce during the dry season, from September to December. During this time, male-female pairs are seen in small pools left behind after water levels drop. The male makes a nest using his saliva and the female deposits around 1,200 eggs for fertilisation . Spawn hatch seven days later and mothers keep depositing eggs periodically throughout

5624-515: The water, at some distance from the eel; another cat-fish was thrown into the water; the eel swam up to it ... [and] gave it a shock, by which it instantly turned up its belly, and continued motionless; at that very instant I felt such a sensation in the joints of my fingers as in experiment 4." and "12. Instead of putting my hand into the water, at a distance from the eel, as in the last experiment, I touched its tail, so as not to offend it, while my assistant touched its head more roughly; we both received

5700-448: The water. The pounding of the horses' hooves, he noted, drove the fish, up to 5 feet (1.5 m) long out of the mud and prompted them to attack, rising out of the water and using their electricity to shock the horses. He saw two horses stunned by the shocks and then drowned. The electric eels, having given many shocks, "now require long rest and plenty of nourishment to replace the loss of galvanic power they have suffered", "swam timidly to

5776-454: The whole animal [by volume]". He described the structure of the organs (stacks of electrocytes) as "extremely simple and regular, consisting of two parts; viz. flat partitions or septa , and cross divisions between them." He measured the electrocytes as 1 ⁄ 17 inch (1.5 mm) thick in the main organ, and 1 ⁄ 56 inch (0.45 mm) thick in Hunter's organ. Also in 1775,

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