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Just Plain Weird

Electric Eel Powers Christmas Tree Lights

Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga has an exhibit with an electric eel that goes by the name of Miguel Wattson. He has his own twitter account. But what is more surprising is this year, his shocks turn on the lights on a nearby Christmas tree.

When Miguel is hungry or excited, he releases low-voltage charges of electricity. The aquarium has managed to transmit these charges to the lights on the tree next to the tank.

An electric eel is not really an eel. It is a fish from the knifefish family and is actually related to a catfish. It can discharge low and high voltage charges and generates those currents like a battery. They use low voltages to search their environment and higher voltages to stun their prey.