An aquarium in Japan has come up with a novel way of generating free electricity to light up a Christmas tree.

Staff at the attraction have employed the use of a large electric eel to bring a festive twinkle to the centre.

With the help of a water tank kitted out with aluminium panels and cables, the eel is able to generate up to 800 watts of energy every time it moves.

The eco-friendly installation has attracted a host of visitors to the aquarium, including a little boy who said he was surprised to see the slithering specimen lighting up a Christmas tree.

Kazuhiko Minawa, the inventor of the system, said he hopes to go bigger and better in the future.

He said: "If we could gather all electric eels from all around the world, we would be able to light up an unimaginably giant Christmas tree. So, I would love to see the massive flash on the Earth from somewhere in the universe."

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