Electric eel: a living battery
Electric eels generate discharges using electric organs made of many specialized cells called electrocytes. Their coordinated activity produces a strong pulse. In field measurements published in 2019, researchers recorded up to 860 V in *Electrophorus voltai*. This record measurement should not be generalized to every electric eel species.
Illustration is AI-generated and conceptual, not a documentary image.
Eels also produce weak discharges involved in electrolocation and communication. Stronger discharges are used in hunting and defense. These fish therefore use both sensory electric signals and more powerful outputs.