Electrophorus electricus
| Electrophorus electricus | |
|---|---|
| Electric eel at the New England Aquarium, United States | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gymnotiformes |
| Family: | Gymnotidae |
| Genus: | Electrophorus |
| Species: | E. electricus |
| Binomial name | |
| Electrophorus electricus (Linnaeus, 1766) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Electrophorus electricus is the best-known species of electric eel. It is a South American electric fish. Until the discovery of two additional species in 2019, the genus was classified as the monotypic, with this species the only one in the genus. Despite the name, it is not an eel, but rather a knifefish. It is considered as a freshwater teleost which contains an electrogenic tissue that produces electric discharges.