Experiments: basic research on living systems, not technology.
Also: Electrophorus electricus
Electric eels generate shocks of hundreds of volts with stacks of specialised cells.
Only what the cited papers report.
Values as stated in the cited paper's abstract.
| Property | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Eel organ peak voltage | 600 V | Schroeder 2017 |
| Eel organ current | 1 A | Schroeder 2017 |
| Hydrogel stack open-circuit voltage | 110 V | Schroeder 2017 |
| Highest recorded electric eel discharge (new species) | 860 V | de Santana 2019 |
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Catania described electric eels leaping out of the water to press their chin against a threat while discharging high-voltage volleys, supporting Alexander von Humboldt's 1800 account of eels attacking horses.
As reported in: Catania (2016). Leaping eels electrify threats, supporting Humboldt’s account of a battle with horses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi:10.1073/pnas.1604009113
Catania reported that electric eels concentrate their electric field to induce involuntary fatigue in struggling prey.
As reported in: Catania (2015). Electric Eels Concentrate Their Electric Field to Induce Involuntary Fatigue in Struggling Prey. Current Biology. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.09.036
De Santana and colleagues found there are three electric eel lineages, two of them new species; one of the new species discharged 860 volts, making it the strongest known living generator of bioelectricity.
As reported in: de Santana, Crampton, Dillman et al. (2019). Unexpected species diversity in electric eels with a description of the strongest living bioelectricity generator. Nature Communications. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-11690-z
Catania showed electric eel discharges activate prey motor neurons, causing whole-body muscle lock in swimming prey and twitches that reveal hidden prey.
As reported in: Catania (2014). The shocking predatory strike of the electric eel. Science. doi:10.1126/science.1260807
Abstract only
Schroeder and colleagues built a soft, flexible power source from stacked hydrogels modelled on the eel's electric organ.
As reported in: Schroeder, Guha, Lamoureux et al. (2017). An electric-eel-inspired soft power source from stacked hydrogels. Nature. doi:10.1038/nature24670