A new genetic study has revealed that species with built-in electric fields, such as the electric eel, all use the same set of around 30 genes.

While the eel is the most well-known electric fish with the ability to produce up to 600 volts of electricity, hundreds of other species are also capable of generating their own electric fields through special organs, NPR reported.

"They're using the same genetic tools to build their electric organs in each lineage independently," described researcher Jason Gallant, an electric fish specialist at Michigan State University, in East Lansing, as quoted by NPR.

The electric eel is about six feet long; however, only the first six inches are pure fish, while the rest is a field of electricity.

"All of the intestines and the stomach and all that stuff is right close to the head, and the rest of the electric eel is an electric organ," said Michael Sussman, who directs the biotechnology center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as quoted by NPR. "It's just a beautiful tissue."

Looking at the electric eel, which is actually a type of knifefish, the research team analyzed DNA samples from cells in its electric organ to isolate around 100 genes from 25,000, Wired reported.

While it's similar to muscle, the tissue can't contract, and it has big cells that can pump electricity without harming the fish. The researchers found that the genes that would normally make the muscle contract were suppressed in the electric eel.

At least six completely separate types of fish have this special skill, something that involves the same set of genes repeated in different species, according to the recent study published in Science.

"It seems like there are limited ways to build an electric organ," said Gallant. "And that's sort of a surprising finding ... you wouldn't necessarily have expected that."

See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?