can electric eels shock themselves?

D

DeLgAdO

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thanks for the suggestion DW :thumbsup:

*ahem*

so stands the question........ can electric eels (and perhaps other electic fishes) shock themselves?


i mean cmon think about it

a fish that can produce up too 600 volts surrounded by water

hmmmmmmm.......... :screwy:

oh man...... imagine that 2 meter electric.......... wonder what he can do to himself...... :shocked: ?
 
U

USMCtanker

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thats a very good question
 
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RobD23

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i would assume not due to the fact that they are producing the electricity. thats like saying can puffers poison themselves.
 
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USMCtanker

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yaya what he said
 
D

DeLgAdO

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DavidW said:
I am pretty sure thay can shock each other, I doubt they can shock themselves as the length of their body provides the pos and neg terminals.

Why do Amazon electric fish have such a 'belt' to them?

they have evolved like this because the Amazon water is so pure that it does not conduct electriciy as well as other less pure water that contain more minerals ( less ions)

There are several factors that determine the degree to which water will carry an electrical current. These include:

1) the concentration or number of ions;

2) mobility of the ion;

3) oxidation state (valence) and;

4) temperature of the water.

totally pure water is actually an electrical insulator, and the Amazon is more pure even than R/O water. But provide an ionic compound in the form of salt, and you complete the circuit.
The electric fish in the Amazon that need to produce a current to kill and eat therefore need to produce a large current, otherwise all they are doing is emitting a signal like knife fish.
:)
Click to expand...
Great info DW :thumbsup: :clap

but what if they where kept in harder water, like oh say, socal water?

would the results be different?
 
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rallysman

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So, are the fish more conductive than the water and thats how the get zapped?

If the head is the "positive end" and the tail is the "negative end" wouldnt a fish have to be fairly close for them to direct the shock through the fish?
 
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rook45

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that got real technical
 
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rallysman

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AH! 500V at 1 amp......thats the killer right there:)
How do they measure it?
What path does the electricity actually take?
does it use the earth for a ground or is it self contained?

That thing confuses me lol
 
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rallysman

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DavidW said:
Multimeters measure voltage (pressure), amperage (flow rate), and Ohms (resistance) in AC or DC.
Click to expand...

LOL, i know this....I just wondering what they reference the negative side to in order to determine volts and amps.
You cant just stick the probes in water and get the readings.(except for resistance)
 
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