The Amazon basin has always been a home to eels that send electrical pulses through the water to weaken their prey. These species are widely distributed to creeks, rivers, swamps, and streams all over North America. It has long been thought that all eels belong to the same species. However, with the use of modern equipment and new ecological and genetic analyses, a group of researchers from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has identified three different species of eels that thrive in the Amazon. Although these species have long shared traits millions of years ago, they have evolved into these new creatures that are partly different from each other.
In the issue of the journal Nature Communications on September 10, researchers released the findings of their study. Since two new species of electric eels have been recently discovered in the Amazon, researchers highlight that there is still so much about these waters that remain undiscovered. The Amazon rainforest remains to be one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. The importance of its preservation and protection could not be further emphasized.
C. David de Santana, the lead author of the study said that the threatened environment of the Amazon needs serious attention. "These fish could grow up to seven to eight feet long. They can really be conspicuous," he said. "If one discovers a fish that grows to eight feet long after 250 years of continued research, one could only imagine how much more of the region remains undiscovered."
Smithsonian scientists have been doing collaborative work with researchers from the Museum of Zoology of the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil as well as other institutions in the world who are interested to explore the diversity of electric fishes including eels in South America. De Santana closely examined the specimen of electric eels that the team was able to collect over the period of six years.
All the specimens looked like they were from the same species, but the team looked into the DNA make-up and found genetic differences. They later found that the 107 specimens they have collected represented 3 different species of electric eels. The subtle differences in the size of the skull as well as in their geographic distribution have helped the team identify where a particular specimen belongs.
According to their analysis, the team of de Santana identified the E.voltai species that can discharge electricity up to 860 volts, significantly more than the other eel species. This makes it the strongest bioelectric generator. Perhaps it has evolved to being such as part of its adaptation to the highland waters and its lower conductivity. De Santana says that what was previously overlooked brings exciting news as it opens doors of opportunities to investigate how animals are able to adapt to the ever-changing environment.
