Macabí vs Electric Eel

Albula vulpes comparado con Electrophorus electricus

Taxonomy & Classification

Atributo	Macabí	Electric Eel
Nombre Científico	Albula vulpes	Electrophorus electricus
Orden	Albuliformes	Gymnotiformes
Familia	Albulidae	Gymnotidae
Conservation Status	Near Threatened	Least Concern

Physical Traits

Atributo	Macabí	Electric Eel
Longitud Máxima	77,0 cm	250,0 cm
Peso Máximo	6,4 kg	20,0 kg
Color	Highly iridescent silvery-white flanks with faint olive-green back; narrow dusky streaks follow scale rows along the upper body; fins are largely transparent with a pale yellowish tinge.	Dark olive-gray to grayish-brown cylinder-shaped body with a pale yellowish-orange throat and chin; back uniformly dark; scaleless skin has a smooth appearance; long ribbon-like anal fin is pinkish.

Habitat & Environment

Atributo	Macabí	Electric Eel
Tipo de Agua	Saltwater	Freshwater
Rango de Profundidad	0-84m	—
Distribución Geográfica	Cosmopolitan in tropical and subtropical coastal waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Favors shallow tidal flats, mangrove lagoons, and sandy bays in Florida, …	Native to the Orinoco and Amazon river basins in Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and Brazil. Inhabits murky, oxygen-depleted floodplain pools, swamps, and slow-moving streams in lowland …
Hábitat	Neritic, estuaries	Estuaries

Información de Pesca

Atributo	Macabí	Electric Eel
Pez de Pesca Deportiva	Sí	No
Clasificación de Pelea	8/10	—
Récord Mundial	—	—
Nivel de Mercurio	—	—

Cuisine & Edibility

Macabí

Edible but extremely bony flesh; rarely consumed as table fare in modern sport fishing. Almost exclusively caught-and-released; the species is prized for its fighting ability, not flavor.

Electric Eel

Not consumed — an ornamental and scientific novelty species kept in specialized aquarium exhibits; edible in principle but extremely dangerous to handle due to powerful electric discharge.

Species Overview

Macabí

The bonefish is the premier shallow-water flats species, prized by fly fishers for its blistering initial run. Found in tropical shallows worldwide, it feeds by rooting in sand and marl for crustaceans and mollusks.

Electric Eel

Despite its name, the electric eel is not a true eel but a knifefish. It can generate electrical discharges of up to 860 volts to stun prey and defend itself. About 80% of its body is dedicated to three electric organs.