Electric fish: list, features and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:42

Electric discharges in nature occur not only during a thunderstorm, in the form of lightning. Processes that cause weak electrical phenomena occur, for example, in many plants. But the most amazing carrier of this ability are electric fish. Their ability to generate lightning bolts is unmatched by any animal species.

Why do fish need electricity

The fact that some fish can strongly "beat" the person or animal that affected them was known even by the ancient inhabitants of the sea coasts. The Romans believed that at this moment some strong poison was released from the inhabitants of the depths, as a result of which the victim experienced temporary paralysis. And only with the development of science and technology it became clear that fish tend to create electrical discharges of different strengths.

Which fish is electric? Scientists argue that these abilities are characteristic of almost all representatives of the named species of fauna, it’s just that most of them have small discharges, perceptible only by powerful sensitiveappliances. They use them to send signals to each other - as a means of communication. The strength of the emitted signals allows you to determine who is who in the fish environment, or, in other words, to find out the strength of your opponent.

Electric fish use their special organs to protect themselves from enemies, as a weapon to defeat prey, and also as landmark locators.

Where are the fish's powerhouses?

Electrical phenomena in the body of fish interested scientists involved in the phenomena of natural energy. The first experiments on the study of biological electricity were carried out by Faraday. For his experiments, he used rays as the strongest producers of charges.

One thing that all researchers agreed on is that the main role in electrogenesis belongs to cell membranes, which are able to decompose positive and negative ions in cells, depending on excitation. The modified muscles of fish, which are interconnected in series, are the so-called power plants, and the connective tissues are conductors.

"Energy-producing" bodies can have a very different look and location. So, in stingrays and eels, these are kidney-shaped formations on the sides, in elephant fish - cylindrical threads in the tail area.

As already mentioned, producing current on one scale or another is characteristic of many representatives of this class, but there are real electric fish that are dangerous not only for other animals, but also for humans.

Electric snake fish

South American electric eel has nothing to do with regular eels. It is named so simply by its external resemblance. This long, up to 3 meters, snake-like fish weighing up to 40 kg is capable of generating a discharge of 600 volts! Close contact with such a fish can cost lives. Even if the current strength does not become the direct cause of death, it definitely leads to loss of consciousness. And a helpless person can choke and drown.

Electric eels live in the Amazon, in many shallow rivers. The local population, knowing their abilities, does not go into the water. The electric field produced by the snake fish diverges within a radius of 3 meters. At the same time, the eel shows aggression and can attack without much need. He probably does this out of fear, since his main diet is small fish. In this regard, the live "electric fishing rod" does not know any problems: he released the charger, and breakfast is ready, lunch and dinner at the same time.

Stingray family

Electric fish - stingrays - are combined into three families and number about forty species. They tend not only to generate electricity, but also to accumulate it in order to use it in the future for its intended purpose.

The main purpose of shots is to scare away enemies and catch small fish for food. If the stingray releases all its accumulated charge at one time, its power is enough to kill or immobilize a large animal. But this happens extremely rarely, since the fish - the electric stingray - after a complete "blackout" becomes weak and vulnerable, it needstime to build up power again. So stingrays strictly control their energy supply system with the help of one of the parts of the brain, which acts as a relay-switch.

The family of gnus, or electric rays, is also called "torpedoes". The largest of them is the inhabitant of the Atlantic Ocean, the black torpedo (Torpedo nobiliana). This type of rays, which reach a length of 180 cm, produces the strongest current. And with close contact with him, a person can lose consciousness.

Moresby's stingray and Tokyo torpedo (Torpedo tokionis) are the deepest members of their family. They can be found at a depth of 1,000 m. And the smallest among their fellows is the Indian stingray, its maximum length is only 13 cm. A blind stingray lives off the coast of New Zealand - its eyes are completely hidden under a layer of skin.

Electric catfish

In the muddy waters of tropical and subtropical Africa live electric fish - catfish. These are quite large individuals, from 1 to 3 m in length. Catfish do not like fast currents, they live in cozy nests at the bottom of reservoirs. The electrical organs, which are located on the sides of the fish, are capable of producing a voltage of 350 V.

Sedentary and apathetic catfish does not like to swim far from its home, crawls out of it to hunt at night, but also does not like uninvited guests. He meets them with light electric waves, and with them he gets his prey. Discharges help catfish not only hunt, but also navigate in dark, muddy water. Electric catfish meat is considered a delicacy by the locals. African population.

Nile Dragon

Another African electric representative of the fish kingdom is the Nile hymnarch, or aba-aba. He was depicted in their frescoes by the pharaohs. It lives not only in the Nile, but in the waters of the Congo, Niger and some lakes. This is a beautiful "stylish" fish with a long graceful body, from forty centimeters to one and a half meters long. The lower fins are absent, but one upper stretches along the entire body. Below it is a “battery”, which produces electromagnetic waves with a power of 25 V almost constantly. The head of the hymnarch carries a positive charge, while the tail carries a negative charge.

The hymnarchs use their electrical abilities not only to search for food and locations, but also in mating games. By the way, the male hymnarchs are simply amazingly fanatical fathers. They do not depart from laying eggs. And as soon as someone approaches the children, dad will douse the violator with a stun gun so that it doesn’t seem enough.

Gymnarchs are very cute - their elongated, dragon-like muzzle and sly eyes have won love among aquarists. True, the handsome man is quite aggressive. Of the several fry settled in the aquarium, only one will survive.

Sea cow

Big bulging eyes, always ajar mouth, framed by fringe, protruding jaw make the fish look like an eternally dissatisfied, grumpy old woman. What is the name of the electric fish with such a portrait? Sea cow of the stargazer family. Comparison with a cow is evoked by two horns on the head.

This nasty specimen spends most of its time burrowing into the sand and lying in wait for passing prey. The enemy will not pass: the cow is armed, as they say, to the teeth. The first line of attack is a long red tongue-worm, with which the stargazer lures naive fish and catches them without even getting out of cover. But if necessary, it will shoot up instantly and stun the victim until he loses consciousness. The second weapon for self-defense - poisonous spikes are located behind the eyes and above the fins. And that is not all! The third powerful tool is located behind the head - electric organs that generate charges with a voltage of 50 V.

Who else is electric

The above are not the only electric fish. The names not listed by us sound like this: Peters' gnathonem, black knife-maker, mormirs, diplobatis. As you can see, there are a lot of them. Science has taken a big step forward in studying this strange ability of some fish, but it has not been completely possible to fully unravel the mechanism of accumulation of high-power electricity until now.

Do fish heal?

Official medicine has not confirmed the possession of the electromagnetic field of fish with a healing effect. But folk medicine has long used the electric waves of rays to cure many diseases of a rheumatic nature. For this, people specially walk nearby and receive weak discharges. Here is such a natural electrophoresis.

Electric catfish are used by people in Africa and Egypt to treat a severe stage of fever. To increase immunity in children and strengthenIn general, equatorial inhabitants force them to touch catfish, and also drink water in which this fish swam for some time.