Electric Eel Powered Christmas Tree

Miguel Wattson is not your typical electric eel. He lives at the Tennessee Aquarium in a special tank. His tank has specialized sensors in it that were created by the engineers at the aquarium. These sensors harness his electric shocks and light up the aquarium's Christmas tree.

The sensors transmit a charge to a unique light and sound system that connects to the tree. As well as lighting up the tree, the soundboard also converts Wattson's electric shoots in loud kabooms and other sound effects.

Some flashes of the tree are brighter and last longer. This is because they are caused by shocks containing higher voltage. These are typically admitted when Wattson because excited or is eating. The high-voltage shocks stem from Wattson trying to stun his food, so he can eat it because as an eel he is unaware that it is frozen.

Although this seems unique to the Tennessee Aquarium, Wattson is not the first eel to power a Christmas tree. Multiple other aquariums have done this. Sparky was featured in the Smithsonian Magazine in 2012 for lighting up a tree in Sandy, Utah.

Wattson not only lights up the Christmas tree, but he is also able to tweet. Each time an extreme volt is released, it sends a signal to the fuse box. This box is connected to a computer program that automatically sends out tweets resembling sound effects such as "Kaboom.”