At the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, five eels live in the Amazon Rising habitat, where probes in the water sense their electricity and transmit their energy to a lightbar and a speaker.
At any given time, visitors can hear low-voltage pulsing coming from the speakers. If guests push a button, they can summon bubbles or make it rain in the habitat. The eels become more active, and their electricity increases.
Scientists have long known that electric eels are indeed electric. But in the wild, they are elusive and difficult to study. New habitats like the one at Shedd are allowing researchers to learn more about eels and how they employ their electricity.
The Elusive Electric Eel
( Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Brenna Hernandez)
