Electric Eel vs Smallmouth Bass

Electrophorus electricus comparé à Micropterus dolomieu

Taxonomy & Classification

Attribut	Electric Eel	Smallmouth Bass
Nom scientifique	Electrophorus electricus	Micropterus dolomieu
Ordre	Gymnotiformes	Centrarchiformes
Famille	Gymnotidae	Centrarchidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern

Physical Traits

Attribut	Electric Eel	Smallmouth Bass
Longueur maximale	250,0 cm	69,0 cm
Poids maximum	20,0 kg	5,4 kg
Couleur	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.	Bronze-green to golden-brown body with 13–15 irregular dark brown vertical bars or blotches on the flanks; red-orange eyes; belly pale cream; dark brown radiating lines from eye to snout.

Habitat & Environment

Attribut	Electric Eel	Smallmouth Bass
Type d'eau	Freshwater	Freshwater
Plage de profondeur	—	1-7m
Aire de répartition	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 …	Native to the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes drainage south through the Ohio River system and upper Mississippi basin. Prefers clear, cool, rocky streams …
Habitat	Estuaries	Clear, cool rivers and streams of eastern North America from the Great Lakes to Tennessee. Prefers rocky and gravelly substrate in moderate to fast current. …

Informations sur la pêche

Attribut	Electric Eel	Smallmouth Bass
Poisson de pêche sportive	Non	Oui
Cote de combativité	—	8/10
Record du monde	—	—
Teneur en mercure	—	—

Cuisine & Edibility

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.

Smallmouth Bass

Clean, white, mildly flavored flesh with low fat; considered slightly firmer and more flavorful than largemouth bass. Excellent pan-fried or baked; a respected table fish in the Great Lakes region.

Species Overview

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.

Smallmouth Bass

The smallmouth bass is widely considered the best-fighting freshwater fish pound-for-pound. Found in clear, rocky streams and lakes, it is more athletic and acrobatic than its larger cousin, the largemouth bass.