In the murky freshwater rivers and streams that snake across the Amazon lurks an eight-foot fascination: the electric eel. Since their discovery more than 250 years ago by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, researchers have thought the electric eel was a one-of-a-kind phenomenon, with only one species, Electrophorus electricus.
This New Species of Electric Eel Delivers the Strongest Shock Yet
By Roni Dengler
Sep 10, 2019 12:00 AMNov 11, 2019 6:20 PM
Electrophorus voltai, one of the two newly discovered electric eel species, lives in the Brazilian highlands. (Credit: L. Sousa)
Newsletter
Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month
Stay Curious
Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.
View our Privacy Policy
Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!
Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription
More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Subscribe
To The Magazine
Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.
Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.