Species learning profile

Anguille électrique

Electrophorus electricus

Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) is a freshwater fish associated with river habitat in Global. It uses electric organs to navigate and hunt.

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Illustration originale de la collection Fishdle de Anguille électrique
Source de l’illustration: Fishdle · CC BY 4.0

At a glance

Eau
Eau douce
Habitat
Rivière
Longueur maximale
250 cm
Répartition
Monde entier
Famille
Gymnotidae
Ordre
Gymnotiformes

Observe

How to identify Anguille électrique

  • Dark grey or brown above, often orange underneath.
  • Long, thick, and eel-like with a broad continuous lower fin.
  • Reported maximum length: 250 cm — a genuinely giant fish. Maximum is not the same as typical adult size.

Field note: color, size, and markings can change with age, sex, season, depth, and lighting. Use several traits together.

Place and pattern

Where it lives—and how it behaves

Habitat and range

This species is associated with river habitat across Global. Flow, seasonal floods, connected side channels, and access to spawning reaches all shape its river habitat.

Behavior

Uses river habitat for feeding, shelter, migration, or reproduction.

Food-web connections

What it eats and why it matters

Diet

A species-specific mix of plant material, plankton, invertebrates, or other fish.

Ecological role

It participates in a connected river food web where nutrients and animals move both upstream and downstream..

Remember

One fact worth keeping

Anguille électrique peut atteindre environ 250 cm et vit souvent près de Rivière.

Think like a conservationist

A conservation lens

River fish depend on connected water. Dams, blocked migrations, pollution, and altered flow can matter even when the channel still looks wet.

This habitat lens is not a current population-status assessment. Status can differ among regions and change as new assessments are published; follow the reference links and local fisheries or wildlife agencies for current decisions.

Recall

Quick knowledge check

Which habitat is most closely associated with Electric eel in this guide?

Keep exploring

References and further reading

Fishdle summarizes stable identification and ecology concepts in plain language. Taxonomy and population knowledge continue to change, so use primary assessments and regional authorities for conservation or management decisions.

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