Electric eel Bashny.Net

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This fish with the body of a snake, represented by a single species of the genus Electrophorus – electrophoresis, electrostatic fish of the family Gymnotidae. Latin name Electrophorus electricus, or Gymnotus electricus. Due to their physiological characteristics, is the highest link in the biological chain, top of the food pyramid is a predator with no enemies in their natural habitat.

Habitat praelectionibus electric eel lives in the muddy waters of South America, mainly in the rivers of the Amazon and Orinoco. Prefers to live in shallow stagnant but warm fresh water with more oxygen. Since nature has endowed electric eel unique vascular tissue in the mouth, it is necessary to periodically rise to the water surface to get some fresh air. But if an electric eel out of water, he is able to live on land for several hours. Stay in the outdoors lasts 10 minutes or more, while no other species of fish does not hold on the surface for more than 30 seconds.



Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus). Author photo: Brian Gratwicke.

External vydelenijami acne – the fish is large enough. Its average length of 2-2,5 meters, but there are also three-meter specimen. The weight of this fish is about 40 kg. Body type serpentine and slightly flattened laterally, the head is flat. The electric eel can be called animals, not fish because of the complete lack of scales. Instead of her naked skin, covered with slime. Fins is also virtually absent, except for pectoral and caudal, but they are extremely well developed – with their help electric eel easy to move in different directions. Nature has endowed this individual camouflage is gray-brown coloration, which allows the eel to remain undetected while hunting for prey. However, the color of the head may differ from the General color, as a rule, it is a shade of orange.



Electric eel in the wild. Photo by: Clinton & Charles Robertson.

Unique osobennostyami the name of this fish indicates its unique features to produce powerful electric discharges. How does she do it? The fact that the body of an eel is covered with a special body composed of special cells, which are connected sequentially between the nerve channels. Starting from the beginning, a weak discharge is gaining power by the end, resulting in an unusually strong category, is able to kill not only small fish but also a larger opponent. The average discharge power of the electric eel is 350V. For a man it is not fatal, but it can stun up to loss of consciousness. Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary risks, from electric eel better to stay away and close not to approach.



Head electric fish orange. Author of the photo: Arjan Haverkamp.

Hunting for dolichoectasia acne attacks without warning and do not succumb even before the big game. If the acne appears any animals, he immediately shakes the whole body, forming a discharge 300-350, which instantly kills nearby potential prey, mostly small fish. When paralyzed, the fish will sink to the bottom, the eel swims up calmly to her and swallowing whole, and then resting a few moments, digesting food.



To catch an electric eel for bait is almost impossible, for him this trick works poorly, as it does not have good eyesight. This specimen was caught accidentally. After photos were released back into the water. Author of the photo: Seig.

Reproduction electrogram really the hero of our story studied extremely poorly. Biologists still cannot with absolute certainty tell us about the full life cycle of this fish. It is known that gymnotus at certain times of the year goes to inaccessible locations and returned with their grown up offspring, the offspring already have the ability to "synthesize" an electric charge. Other sources say that for reproduction the male electric eel to create a nest from its own saliva, after which the female lays eggs. From one laying of eggs, the light appears to 17,000 young electric eels. Acne, the first born, often eat the eggs of fresh masonry.



Dark electric eel goes hunting. Author of the photo: Travis.

How does the fertilization? Where deposited/born an intermediate stage of development? As a growing, developing young... until now, science has not described. Declared just another unimportant fact – fry gymnotus aged ten to twelve centimeters in length is considered a full adult individual.



Electric eel — schematically (picture is clickable).

Electric eel is an interesting partyelections acne has no relationship to acne vulgaris. It belongs to the class of ray-finned fish (Actinopterygii). Individuals the electric eel very bad sight, there is academic opinion that with the age of the fish eye cease to see. And awake and they hunt mainly at night. Electric eels are carnivorous. They eat not only small fish, but also birds, amphibians, crustaceans, and even small mammals. Gymnotus – winner of the short teeth, not the food he chews and swallows almost whole. With the help of an electric discharge eels communicate with each other. Electric eel has a locator with low-frequency waves, which receives information about the nearby obstacles or prey. If you take the electric eels, it is possible to feel a slight tingling. Electric eel on the number of victims is even ahead of the carnivorous piranha. Electric eel for the first time mentioned in historical Chronicles of the 17th century, as a peculiar creature living in the Antillean sea. Almost a century later, the fish was described by the famous scientist Alexander von Gumbolt. Contents electric eel in aquariums of gymnotus necessary to provide a large aquarium is very large, given the size of the fish, it needs to have at least one of the walls a minimum length of 3 meters. It is important to take into account the depth of the pond, so electric is constantly rising to the surface, and then lowered again to the lower layers, in this regard, the depth of the water tank it is best to provide at least 1.5-2 meters.



Electric eel — a fragment of aquarium life. Author of the photo: patries71.

One tank will be able to contain only one individual, as in the absence of the fish to each other's sexual interest, even heterosexual individuals can be aggressive towards someone. Also in view of the availability of his particular electrical properties, there are few other species of freshwater fauna that can live with electrogram in close proximity. Acne the owner of very poor eyesight, for movement on the water environment uses electronification – emit weak electric discharges (10-15), with detection of a biological object (a potential victim) the strength of the discharge increases.



This electric ogorek demonstrates how it is important for the magnitude (length) of the aquarium. Author photo: Scott Hanko.

For aquarium with an electric eel is not required aeration. The water temperature should not be below 25 degrees Celsius, the rigidity – 11-13 degrees, acidity (pH) in the range 7-8. Oddly enough, gymnotus does not like frequent changes of water, there is the assumption that the fish itself creates a microclimate which accumulate antimicrobial substances prevent the appearance of diseases. Otherwise, the electric eel there are ulcers of the skin's surface.

Loves a sandy substrate allowed a small amount of pebble; welcomed the presence of a moderate amount of vegetation, also likes rich bottom-landscape – rocks, caves, driftwood.

Source: natureworld.ru/