Can you eat electric eel?
In this article, we will answer the question “Can you eat electric eel?” and discuss how it is dangerous?
Can you eat electric eel?
Yes, you can eat electric eel. However, due to their boniness and little nutritional value, they are an undesirable food source for humans. Electric eels are a kind of knife fish, which is similar to catfish in several ways.
They aren’t eaten since there isn’t enough meat to go around for everyone. Large portions of the fish’s body are dedicated to the three organ types that produce the fish’s high- and low-voltage electricity.
The gill structure of electric eels is insufficient for the fish to produce the oxygen they need. They must be caught. Every 10 minutes, they must rise to the surface to breathe fresh air.
Electric eels, in contrast to popular belief, do not have enough power to kill a human being, not even a tiny kid. They have a maximum output of 860 volts and one amp for a duration of two milliseconds.
An unpleasant jolt is delivered, yet no tissue damage is caused since the shock is brief. An electric eel shock has approximately ten times the energy needed to induce atrial fibrillation (which requires around 700 ma. across the heart for about 30 ms. ) To make matters worse, the necessary shock lasts 15 times longer than the electric eel can take.
Electric eels are not true eels, despite their serpentine look. They’re classified as a species of carp or catfish by scientists.
Electric Discharge
Their name derives from the tremendous electrical charge that these well-known freshwater predators are capable of generating to shock victims and deter other predators.
About 6,000 specialized cells called electrolytes are found in their bodies, which act as little batteries, storing energy. These cells all fire at the same time if they sense danger or are engaged in combat with a prey item.
Nutrition and Eating Patterns
Most of their food is fish, but they also eat amphibians and birds, and small animals. They may be found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America. Air-breathers, they’re obligated to alight from time to time.
Additionally, they have limited vision; nevertheless, they are capable of emitting a weak electrical charge (less than 10 volts) that they utilize as a kind of radar to navigate and find prey.
Characteristics
Electric eels may grow to enormous lengths and weights, up to 44 pounds for the largest specimens. In general, they’re a dark green or grey hue on top with a yellowish underside, with long, cylindrical bodies and flatheads.
Human-caused disasters
Electric eels have killed just a handful of people. If someone is repeatedly shocked, they are more likely to suffer from respiratory or cardiac failure, and this may result in their death in shallow water.
They Surprisingly Deliver a Surprise
Because of their name, electric eels may provide an electric shock up to 860 volts, depending on the species. There are three organs involved in this defensive mechanism, which may be found in all three species of the electric eel.
These organs include the primary one, Hunter’s organ, and Sach’s organ. The main and Hunter’s organs work together to create the greatest electrical discharges, whereas the Sach’s organ generates lesser power electrical charges.
High-voltage charges of up to 860 volts have been found in the Electrophorus voltaic species, while 480 volts and 572 volts have been discovered in the Electrophorus electricus and Electrophorus varii species, respectively.
They Can Leap Out of the Water
Aside from the high voltage shock they can give, electric eels have been seen to jump out of the water to fight predators. The finding was discovered accidentally by Vanderbilt University scientist Ken Catania while handling electric eels in a tank with a net and a metal rod. He saw that as soon as the metal rod got close, the eels sprang out of the water and charged it.
The eels mistook the rod for a big animal due to its ability to transmit electricity. However, the eels did not attack when nonconductors were employed. In the same experiment, the eels bowed their necks to stay in close contact with the prey, making sure it experiences the full force of their rage.
Despite its reputation as a dangerous predator, the electric eel may be a lifesaver during the dry season when the eels are trapped in tiny ponds and at risk.
They Lay Eggs in Nests of Saliva
The dry season is when females of the species deposit their eggs, which are protected by a foam nest formed from saliva. During the rainy season, the males construct the spit nest and protect the eggs until they hatch.
The well-protected nest will give birth to about 1,200 young eels. During each spawning cycle, electric eels deposit three batches of eggs, according to popular belief.
To learn more about electric eel click here
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question “Can you eat electric eel?” and we discussed how it is dangerous?
Reference
https://animals.howstuffworks.com/fish/can-electric-eels-kill.htm
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/electric-eel
https://www.treehugger.com/shocking-facts-about-electric-eels-4863966
