Hey fishermen, have you ever caught this fish?
"He that puteth to sleep." This is the meaning of the name of the Amazonian fish here (Electrophorus electricus). But make no mistake! This has nothing to do with lullabies. The poraquê is feared by the riverine and is capable of knocking down a horse. But how does this happen? Get ready, because the answer is “electrifying”!
Because there are modified cells capable of generating electricity, the electrocytes. When threatened, it produces an electrical discharge that can reach 500 volts, enough to kill an adult man. The shock is terrible: the muscles contract so intensely that it is impossible to control the movements. The internal organs are damaged, the heart collapses and finally stops beating. This ability earned him another name: electric fish. But don't think that the energy ends here, the electric fish's life is full of lightning and thunder. It emits low voltage pulses as it slowly approaches. When the prey is within range, the electric fish checks the fatal electric discharge and picks up his reheated microwave lunch.
Poraquê is not the only fish that can use electricity to perceive the environment, but it is the largest discharge electric fish known to date.
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