Electric Ray

ID points

• Body almost a round disc with thick soft edges
• Tail short and thick, with a distinct tail fin at the end
• A pair of kidney-shaped electric organs shows through behind the eyes

Basics

Family

Torpedinidae

Length

30–90 cm

Depth

1-100 m

Regions

Temperate & polar

Distribution

Shallow sandy bottoms in tropical and temperate seas

Habitat

Sandy bottoms in shallow seas

Diet

Small fish, invertebrates

Easily confused with

Angel SharkFlattened like a ray, but the gill slits open on the sides of the bodyStingrayFlat disc- or diamond-shaped body, lying buried in the sandCownose RayFront of the head is notched into two lobes, like a cow's nose

Fun fact

The electric organs of a torpedo ray make up roughly 1/6 of its body weight and can deliver a shock of up to 220 volts, used both for hunting and for defence. Roman physicians once pressed a live electric ray to the head of a patient to treat migraines, arguably the earliest electrotherapy.