electric fish

Any of several unrelated fishes that have electricity-producing powers, including the South American ‘electric eel’. These include Electrophorus electricus, which is not a true eel, and in which the lateral tail muscles are modified to form electric organs capable of generating 650 volts; the current passing from tail to head is strong enough to stun another animal. Not all electric fishes produce such strong discharges; most use weak electric fields to navigate and to detect nearby objects.