DISCHARGE PATTERNS AND MECHANISMS OF ELECTRIC EELS UNDER DIFFERENT BEHAVIORAL INTENTIONS

The efficient underwater sensing and attack mechanisms of electric eels provide significant inspiration for the development of biomimetic equipment. To this end, this paper investigates the response strategies and discharge patterns of electric eels under various behavioral intents. By constructing specialized test scenarios and integrating behavioral recordings, data acquisition, and bio-electric field simulations, we systematically analyzed the correlation between attack/defense postures and discharge logic, as well as the corresponding discharge characteristics of electric organs. The results reveal that a curled attack posture enhances targeting efficiency through synergistic electric field and circuit interactions. Simulations indicate it can increase the voltage delivered to prey more than three times. Touch-based experiments further identified a deep-water passive defense mechanism through double/triple pulses. By comparing behavioral and electrogenic organ discharge (EOD) patterns in active and passive defense, this study concludes that active defense is suitable for shallow water, while passive defense is suitable for deep water environments, providing a more complete theoretical framework for understanding the different biological behaviors in electric eels.