Volta’s Electric Eels Hunt in Packs

New observations made near the mouth of a small lake on the banks of the Iriri River in Brazil’s state of Pará show Volta’s electric eels (Electrophorus voltai) herding, encircling shoals of small fishes called tetras, and launching joint predatory high-voltage strikes on the prey ball.

The observations, described in a paper in the journal Ecology and Evolution, challenge the idea that electric eels are exclusively solitary predators.

“There are only nine other species of fishes known to do this, which makes this finding really special.”

First described in 2019, Volta’s electric eels are a species of freshwater fish found in the rivers of South America.

They can reach lengths of 2.4 m (8 feet) and are capable of producing 860-V electric shocks — strongest electric discharge of any animal on Earth and 210 V higher than the previous record.

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Image credit: L. Sousa.

The Volta’s electric eel (Electrophorus voltai) in Xingu River in north Brazil.

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Electric eels hunt in packs in Amazon river

When darkness comes, electric eels emerge from South American river bottoms to attack their prey with up to 860 volts of electricity—enough to kill a person.

Now scientists have revealed that the snake-like fish don’t always do it alone: They hunt in packs, similar to wolves and orcas.

The discovery could give clues about the evolution of such social predation in mammals and other fish.

When Electric Eels Attack

Named after Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the battery, its discharge tops out at 860 volts.

Wow that's interesting and shocking lol couldn't resist that .....

glad we don't have that kind here

with Mer

1 Advantage for these Eeel, they blend in pretty well with the sea bed, camo protection, not very bright for prey to see them coming