Which fish is famous for producing electricity with its tail?

The electric eel is famous for producing electricity with specialized organs along its body, including its tail region.

Despite its common name, an electric eel is a knifefish rather than a true eel. It lives in freshwater rivers and floodplain habitats of South America. Its elongated body allows it to breathe atmospheric air, an important adaptation in warm, oxygen-poor water.

Electric eels generate electrical discharges with electrocytes, modified cells arranged in stacks. Weak discharges help with sensing and communication, while strong discharges can stun prey or discourage predators. The strongest species, Electrophorus voltai, has been measured producing roughly 860 volts, although voltage is only one part of the shock’s effect.

Electric rays also generate electricity, which causes a frequent mix-up. Rays use electric organs near the front of the body, while electric eels use organs distributed along much of their elongated trunk. Neither animal is a marine eel in the ordinary taxonomic sense.