Electric eels hunt together to shock big prey

Nature
Electric eels hunt together to shock big prey

Electric eels collaborate, synchronizing their powerful electric discharges to create overwhelming shocks that stun large prey, revealing a surprising cooperative hunting strategy.

Electric eels, famous for their powerful zaps, actually team up to hunt. Researchers discovered that groups of these Amazonian predators synchronize their electric discharges, creating a combined shock strong enough to stun fish much larger than a single eel could manage. This cooperative strategy, observed in a 2019 study, allows them to overwhelm prey and hunt more efficiently in murky waters.

There's more to this story — open the app to keep reading.

Continue Reading in App
1 more paragraphs · plus a 3-question quiz
Open in App

Get the full experience

Download Facts A Day