Electric Eels' Shocking Ability To Alter The Genetics Of Nearby Animals

A new study has found that electric eels can alter the genetics of nearby animals through electrical discharges

The face of an electric eel. The massive electric organ in this species is made up of platelets of modified muscle fibers connected in series along the body. Each electroplate generates only 0.1 volt, but up to 80% of the eel is electric organ. The total voltage generated is a function of length: the longer the organ, the greater the electrical discharge. A 9 foot (3m) eel can deliver 800 volts, more than enough to stun a man. (Credit: Travis / CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED)

Not only is the Universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think.

- Werner Heisenberg

Electric eels are truly amazing creatures. They can produce enough electricity to run a kitchen dishwasher or to light up your Christmas tree, but now we’ve found that their electric pulses can also alter the genetics of nearby aquatic creatures. Yes, you read that correctly. This shocking discovery was made by a research group at Nagoya University who just reported that electric eels’ discharges can genetically modify the larvae of small fishes.