Flashy fish: electric eel powers Tennessee aquarium’s Christmas tree
Visitors to the Tennessee aquarium may be shocked to learn that the Christmas tree is being powered by an unusual renewable energy source – an electric eel.
The flashy fish goes by the name of Miguel Wattson and has his own Twitter account, @EelectricMiguel. A special system connected to Miguel’s tank enables his naturally occurring shocks to power strands of lights on a nearby tree, the aquarium said in a news statement. Miguel releases low-voltage blips of electricity when he is trying to find food, aquarist Kimberly Hurt said. Miguel Wattson TNAQ (@EelectricMiguel) ICYMI, here’s a video of yours truly attempting to use my discharges to power the lights on a Christmas tree. (SPOILER ALERT ::: Of course I pull it off. My ph…Continue Reading
Have we figured out how they generate electricity yet?
Cause I want to skip solar and go to eel powered electricity.
Direct link to the twitter! [https://twitter.com/EelectricMiguel](https://twitter.com/EelectricMiguel)
If only his name was Migueel.
Apparently for their Spooktober event he is connected to electrical Jack-o-lanterns that light up when he discharges. That’s what their email said anyway. I haven’t been in a few weeks.
It’s a really nice aquarium. I’ve been several times over the years. I never knew about Miguel.
Brb gonna go follow an eel on twitter
Update: I followed an eel on Twitter
What even is my life anymore
The a switch senses the eel juice and turns on the lights. We aren’t to the point of eel slaves being a viable power and/or nutrition source.
Its a little disappointing that they don’t power the light because its like they’re having a little eel idea.
What is it with Tennessee and electric eels?
There is a professor at Vanderbilt University (in Nashville not Chattanooga, so not the same eels) who has got several single author papers in *Science*- something which you almost never see- by measuring exactly how and when they shock their prey.