Electric eels remotely control their prey

Electric eels remotely control their prey
(Image credit: iStock)

In case electric eels didn't seem terrifying enough, here's a shocking tidbit (pun intended): An eel can remotely control its victim.

According to Vanderbilt University research published in the journal Science, eels can stun prey with electric charges as fish try to escape from them. Or, technically speaking, they're using "high-frequency volleys to induce immobilizing whole-body muscle contraction."

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.