That behavior was assumed to be an exaggeration, until now. A study released in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences recounts one researcher’s accidental find of the behavior. Biologist Kenneth Catania at Vanderbilt University was researching and caring for captive eels when he witnessed the act, which he named the “shocking leap.” Catania was moving the eels from one tank to another, catching the eels with a net in low water levels. The eels began to jump and tap the net with their chins, as in the von Humboldt story. Catania believes that the eels display this behavior when they feel threatened by predators. Catania found that eels’ electric shocks can be harmful even when an eel is airborne. He also found that the voltage and amperage of the shock actually increased the higher the eel jumped in the air. Watch Catania’s video below of electric eels’ “shocking leap” against a mannequin arm and fake crocodile head.
