The electric eel is the Amazon rainforest fish that can produce the highest voltage recorded from any animal.
Electric eels live in freshwater habitats across northern South America, including streams, floodplain lakes, and seasonally flooded forest. Despite its common name, the animal is not a true eel; it is a knifefish with an elongated body and no pelvic fins.
The species Electrophorus voltai has been measured producing up to 860 volts, the highest recorded output from any known animal. Electric eels generate electricity with specialized electrocytes arranged in organs along much of the body. They use weaker discharges for sensing and stronger ones for hunting and defense.
Several electric eel species are now recognized, rather than just one. They must surface regularly because they breathe atmospheric air, making them especially adapted to warm, oxygen-poor tropical waters.