They live in shallow, muddy water and come to the surface every 10 minutes because they breathe atmospheric air.Electric eels can reach 8 feet in length and weigh up to 44 pounds.Their long and cylindrical body can be white, black, blue, purple or grey in color.They are carnivores (meat-eaters) that eat other fish, amphibians, birds and small mammals.Eels are covered with slimy mucus and this allows them to slither around reefs without getting scratched. They have scale less and slimy smooth skin, sharp teeth and strong jaws.They have poor eyesight and often bite fingers of divers who give them food.