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News Release 15-136
The nuanced weapons of electric eels
Ability to stun a more sophisticated weapon than previously thought
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An electric eel reaches for a fish. The animals are formidable predators, using specialized organs in their body to generate electricity. The eels use their electric pulses as both a weapon and a sensory system, and are able to alter the electric current to subdue particularly difficult prey.
Credit: Ken Catania, Vanderbilt University
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Electric eels curl their bodies to boost their electric current, doubling their power, to subdue particularly difficult prey.
Credit: Ken Catania, Vanderbilt University