In the depths of the seas and oceans, a large number of amazing creatures live, including stingray and eel. These creatures are famous for the fact that they use electricity for protection and hunting. However, most people cannot imagine how a living organism is capable of performing the role of a powerful battery.
Who Generates Electricity?
Just as an interesting fact, it is worth noting that all fish generate electricity, just 99% of species generate very weak charges that are not perceptible during interaction. Sea creatures are able to generate electricity thanks to the special arrangement of muscles that generate and store electricity.
Some species in the process of evolution have learned to accumulate large charges and hit the enemy with them. The most successful in this activity were stingrays, eels, astrologers, gymnasts, and also a separate species of catfish.
Nile gymnarch.
How do fish generate electricity?
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All kinds of electric sea creatures generate electricity while in motion. Due to the fact that muscles are constantly changing their shape and interacting with the environment, they accumulate electricity. In this case, the head and tail act as a plus and a minus, respectively. This helps to hold the charge in the muscles like a battery.
Let's take a closer look at what muscles are for storing charges. They may look different for each type of fish, but have a similar structure. Muscles are made up of columns, which, in turn, are divided into plates. To store electricity, the columns are connected in parallel, and the plates are connected in series. There is a potential difference between them, due to which energy is accumulated during movement, a charge accumulates.
The location of the electrical organs at the electric ray.
How do fish electrocute?
Electric shock is carried out using pulses. The fish purposefully hits the victim with them. Some species deliberately emit about 500 impulses at the victim in order to finally hit the enemy. Accordingly, the blows are deliberate and directed, you cannot get a charge just by touching the fish.
In most cases, fish use their "weapon" only in direct contact with the victim. In certain situations, they can start up a current at short distances to ward off a larger predator.
In the above fish, the potential difference developed at the ends of the electrical organs can reach 1200 volts (electric eel), and the discharge power in a pulse is from 1 to 6 kilowatts (Torpedo nobiliana electric ray).
Electric ramp Torpedo nobiliana.
Are electric fish dangerous to humans?
Even a weak charge with such parameters can seriously damage human health, especially at depth. There were cases when fish thrown ashore literally knocked people to the ground upon contact, which urgently required medical attention.
Electric eel
Electric eels live in South America, in rivers, and hunt small fish. Adults grow from 1 to 3 meters in length, but even they often become victims of local predators. Because of this, eels are forced to use electricity not only for hunting, but also for defense.
Electric eel.
The energy storage muscles, also often referred to as “electrical organs,” are located along the spine and make up approximately 80% of the total mass of eels. The charge gradually accumulates in special bubble folds, after which, at the right moment, it spreads in space, striking all living things in the radius. In this way, the fish paralyzes the victim, after which it can be mistaken for eating.
For the current to hit the creature, it must be as close as possible. But there were situations when fishermen caught an eel on a hook and received a discharge without contact with it: the current passed up the line and beat as soon as the person touched it.
Electric Stingray
This type of creature is famous not only for its ability to generate electricity, but also for its flattened shape, resembling a small towel. They live mainly at the bottom of the oceans and reach 180cm in length.
Electric Stingray.
Stingrays accumulate electrical energy throughout the body due to muscle contraction. Even young individuals are able to shock with a voltage of 8V. This helps to hunt and immobilize small fish.
They knew about the properties of stingrays even in Ancient Egypt. Local doctors used light electric shocks of juveniles for medical purposes. It was believed that small discharges help a person get rid of diseases.
All fish are capable of generating electricity, but only stingrays, eels and a few other species can accumulate large quantities of it. This is possible due to the specific structure of the muscles, which can accumulate current during movement.
