Electric eels might be the stuff of nightmares for some, but are they really electric – and do they have the power to give you a painful zap? We break down just watt makes these eels so shocking.

Meet an electric eel at the Houston Zoo! It sends out electrical pulses to find food.

Unlike some of the more common eels that you might have even seen in person, the electric eel remains very well hidden from most of us humans while we’re going about our daily life.

A Powerful New Species of Electric Eel Electric eels belong to the naked-back knifefish family, or Gymnotidae. Although we refer to them as eels, they are more like carp and catfish than other eels.

Electrical pulses from electric eels may cause little pores to open in the cells of nearby animals, allowing environmental DNA to enter their bodies.

Modern attempts to mimic the eel Like Volta, some modern electrical scientists searching to transform battery technology find their inspiration in electric eels.

Electric eels can discharge up to 860 volts of electricity. Mark Newman via Getty Images In the lab, researchers regularly use electricity to deposit medicine, DNA, bacteria or other substances ...

Electric eels belong to the knifefish family, and they can knock your socks off by delivering more than 600 volts.

Electric eel zaps do more than just stun — they can alter the DNA of their victims, study suggests By tagging zebra fish with a fluorescent gene, scientists could track how electric eel jolts ...