Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-10-23
The Electric Eels.

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AQUARIUM in length are about four feet,
they are thicker in body than the lar
gest common eel. There are two, and
they are in 1.-TWO adjoining tanks, glass
on both sides. When they were trans
ferred from their small travelling box
es into the more spacious tanks of the
Aquarium, they were very restless, ana
one of the neutrality-suspicious., with
out intending it, their electric power,
which Notwithstanding the fatigue OF
long journey, was very respectable. A
slight touch of the smooth, Shiny body
was sufficient to communicate such Sc
we're shock thar the man was complain
ing several hours later of unusual pains
In his shoulders and elbows.
The excitement of the fishes upon be-
ing placed in their new quarters was
very great. They dashed through their
tanks In all directions, forward and
backward; tried to jump out, and spla-
shed the water all over the neighbor-
hood. 1t took them long time to get
quiet.
A lively yellow perch was put into
the tank of one of the eels, catfish into
that of the other. The presence of the
strange visitors exclted the eels, and
they made directly for them, touching
their bodies in several places with the
end of their plump snOuts. 1t looked
as if they intended to bore into the bod
les of the fishes. Both the perch and
the catfish palpitated violently at the
moment when the eels touched them,
exactly like person who gets shock
from an electric machine when unpre-
pared for it. The perch seemed to have
been hit violently so that it lost its bal
ance, and with open mouth, swan on
its side. Yet it required only short
time for both fishes 10 recover, and in
two or three minutes they were SWIM
ming around apparently as vigorous as
before. The eels renewed their attacks,
but the result was weaker in both of
them, and it really seemed as If they
were not able TO kill the fishes by their
mysterious power. The contest contin-
ned. and one of the eels gradually got
more excited. Instead of merely touch
ing the perch with the end of its snout,
il opened its mouth and laid both lips
close TO the body of the fish. The elec-
tric discharges become more frequent
at the same time, and in about twenty
five minutes the perch was dead. The
catfish, however, sustained all the dis
charges of its deadly companion with
out any apparent consequences, and
both fishes are, or were some hours since
swimming apparently peacefully and
socially alongside of each other.
An unexpected observation, and
which We believe has never been men,
toned by any naturalist before r.Dor-
ner, is the remarkable way in which
these eels breathe. AS it is generally
known, the respiratory movements con-
sist in alternately opening and closing
the mouth and gill slit, and only when
the fishes are in want of air, having had
an insufficient supply from the water,
they ascend TO the surface in order to
swallow air from the atmosphere. Only
few fishes, which are remarkable for
their large, cellulated air bladder, as,
tor instance, the gar pike, or the fresh
water dogfish come to the surface regu-
larly in order TO inhale Iand exhale air
in the same way that seals and whales
do. The dogfish does this about twice
in an hour, the gar pike at much longer
intervals, and both fishes, when under
the surface, open and close their mouths
and gill Sits quite regularly. like all
other fishes. The electric eel, however,
takes the greater part of its respiratory
air directly from the atmosphere, at in
tervals of one or two minutes, some
times less, sometimes more, but geler-
ally not slower than the seal.
Each of the electric eels of ths Aqua
rum comes TO the surface. brings the
end of its snout into the air, takes por-
ton of it, the throat becoming wider,
and in the next moment il gHlps the air
down, or lets it escape through one OF
the gill openings. Sometimes, when
resting at the bottom, the eel allows a
great quantity of air to escape by deep
notch in the centre of the lower jaw,
permitting this escape without opening
its mouth. In regard to sxhalation
there is great NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
through the mouth. The quantity OF
the outgoing air is also changeable, be-
ing sometimes four times greater than
at other times, but the inhaling is quite
regular.
The electric eel has two connected air
bladders two and half feet long, and
therefore there is no doubt of its acting
as a real lung. The length of the blad-
ders comprises two thirds of the entire
body. No doubt the air bladders are
of greater importance in the respiratory
functions of the electric eels than the
gills.
This accounts for the fact that the re-
spiratory movements noticed in other
fishes for hours are totally absent in the
electric eels. Several visitors, after
watching the creatures few moments,
believed them to be dead until the as
cending movement convinced them of
their being alive. 1t is only at long in
tervals that the mouth is slightly open
ed and closed while in the water, and
in these instances the coming to the
surface ceases for length of time. Per-
hsps the animal sleeps at this time. Its
ewes. though are so small thattit is diff
cult to tell whether they are open or
not.