Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Christmas in Japan: Part I

(clipped from Daily Mainichi's English Website, because they don't do permalinks)

Electric eel used to power Xmas lights

Aqua Toto Gifu's electric eel and the Christmas tree lights it powers. (Mainichi)
Aqua Toto Gifu's electric eel and the Christmas tree lights it powers. (Mainichi)

KAKAMIGAHARA, Gifu -- An aquarium filled with exotic fish here is using an electric eel to power lights on a Christmas tree.

Each time the electric eel at the Aqua Toto Gifu aquarium touches a copper wire in its tank, it sends power that lights up globes decking a Christmas tree.

Officials expect the "eel Christmas tree" to be a popular attraction for dating couples in the lead-up to Christmas Day, when the tree will be removed.

Electric eels are capable of generating electricity in their bodies. They have notoriously poor eyesight and use electric shocks to stun prey so they can catch and eat them.

3 comments:

Yokota Fritz said...

Hmm, a different kind of renewable energy!

I wonder if the eel actually powers the lights, or if it just triggers a switch that turns the lights on.

Also Lots of Ocelots said...

Yeah, and after the holiday, they slice up that poor old eel and serve him up as "unagi".

Anonymous said...

Mmmmm......tasty...