Not really an eel, but a member of the knifefishes (Order Gymnotiformes), Electrophorus electricus is certainly one of the more impressive fish you could hope to see. Reaching six feet in length and weighing up to 40 pounds, the electric eel inhabits rivers and creeks in South American river basins like the Amazon and the Orinoco. They're obligate air-breathers, with a heavily vascularized mouth lining that acts as a lung. They get as much as 80% of their oxygen from the atmosphere, and must come to the surface to gulp air every ten minutes or so. They generate electricity using three pairs of abdominal organs that make up about 80% of their body mass. Electrophorus actually produces two different types of electrical impulses. High voltage blasts, generated by stacks of thousands of electroplaques, may be of 500 volts and generate a current of about an amp. Low voltage pulses, generated by the Sach's organ, are used primarily for electrolocation. There is some ability to control the intensity of the impulse, employing lower voltages for hunting while saving the really powerful blasts for when needed. They've got a lot of energy in reserve, and are capable of producing intermittent shocks for periods of over an hour.Little known fact - the male electric eel may use saliva to make a nest, into which the female may place almost 20,000 eggs.
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