 A electric fish is any fish that can generate

electric fields.

 A fish that can generate electric field is

said to electro-genie.

 A fish that ability to detect is said electro-

receptive.
 Electric fish species can found both in ocean
and in freshwater rivers

 Mostly found in South America and Africa.

 Best
example is electric eel . They can
generate electricity.

 Many fishes such as

Sharks
Rays
Cat fishes
They can detect electric fields and are
electro-receptors
 Electric fish produce their electric fields
from a specialized structure called electric
organ.
 This made up of modified muscle or nerve
cells which became specialized for producing
bioelectric field stronger than normal nerves
or muscles.
 Organ is located in the tail of electric fish.
 The electric output of organ is called the
electric organ discharge (EOD).

 In electric organ discharge two type of

electric fish.
Strongly electric fish
Weakly electric fish
 Fish with an electrical organ discharge
that is powerful to stun prey are called
strongly electric fish.

 The amplitude of signal range from 10 to

600 volts with a current of up to 1
ampere.
 Electric Electric
rays eel
(order (Electroph
Torpedini orus
formes) electricus)

Electric
catfish
(family
Malapteru
ridae)
 Strongly electric marine fish deliver low
voltage‚high current electric
discharge.Freshwater have high voltage‚low
current discharge.Because of different
conductance of salt and water.
 In salt water‚can drive a large current
limited by the interval resistance of electric
organ.
 In fresh water‚the power is limited by
voltage needed to drive the current through
the large resistance of the medium
 Weakly electric fish generate a discharge
that is typically less than one volt in
amplitude.

 These are too weak to stun prey and

instead are used for navigation‚object
detection(electro-location) and
communication with other electric fish.
 The EOD waveform takes two general forms
depending two species.

1. Wave-type EOD
2. Pulse-type EOD
 In some species the waveform is continous
and almost sinsodal and these are said to be
have a wave-type EOD.
 In some species‚EOD waveform consist of
brief pulses separated by longer gaps‚these
are said to have pulse-type EOD.