Dr A writes:
the first thing we need to know in order to explain this is how an electric eel doesn't electrocute itself.
Seems that may be difficult.
It's still unclear how the eels manage to survive their own shocks. Two electric eels have been known to electrocute the same prey animal without shocking each other and some of the strongest bursts of electricity are released during mating, yet the eels remain unharmed. However, the same eels could fight to the death using identical shocks to those during the mating ritual.
How the fish are seemingly able to tolerate large currents at certain times and not at others is a mystery which still eludes research scientists. The answer may lie partly in a thick layer of fat which behaves as an electrical insulator, protecting the eels from their own shocks and, to some extent, the shocks of others.
Null Hypothesis | You Little Stunner
Obviously, God must look after these little blighters individually and decide on a case by case basis when to be shocked or not.
Life, don't talk to me about life - Marvin the Paranoid Android