ELECTRIC FISH

A routine treatment of a sellable subject, this discusses (generally and one by one) a number of ""electric fish"" which fall into three categories: ""strongly electric"" fish that produce electric currents, fish with electric receptors, and ""weakly electric"" fish that use their ""sixth sense"" for electrolocation and communication. Examples are: electric eels, which can deliver about 600 volts; catfish, which become restless just before an earthquake; and knife fish, which can shift channels to avoid ""jamming"" with others of their kind. Arnold describes the various electric organs and their functions, reports on early and more recent experiments, and works in a few anecdotes about people's experiences with the shockers of the sea.