Pacific Electric Ray

Pacific Electric Ray

Pacific Electric Ray is electronic ray that found in Pacific ocean. The Pacific electric ray has a soft, flabby body devoid of dermal denticles.

Taxonomy

n 1861, Theodore Gill placed this species in his newly created genus Tetronarce, on the basis of its smooth-rimmed spiracles. Later authors have generally regarded Tetronarce as a subgenus of Torpedo. Closely similar electric rays found off Peru, Chile, and Japan may be the same as this species. Other common names used for this ray include California torpedo ray, Pacific torpedo, or simply electric ray or torpedo ray.

Distribution and habitat

Off California, the Pacific electric ray is generally encountered at a depth of 3–30 m (10–100 ft), while off Baja California it is typically observed at a depth of 100–200 m (330–660 ft). It has been reported from as deep as 425 m (1,394 ft). This species prefers temperatures of 10–13 °C (50–55 °F). It frequents sandy flats, rocky reefs, and kelp forests. However, one individual has been videotaped 17 km (11 mi) west of Point Pinos, Monterey County, California, swimming 10 m (33 ft) below the surface in water 3 km (1.9 mi) deep; this and other observations suggest that this species makes periodic excursions away from shallow coastal habitats into the epipelagic zone.

Feeding

At night, when many diurnal fishes descend from the water column and become inactive a short distance above the bottom, the Pacific electric ray switches to an active hunting strategy. It stalks fish by slowly swimming or simply drifting through the water; when it closes to 5 cm (2.0 in) of the prey, it lunges forward and again envelops the prey within its disc while delivering shocks. To better secure the fish within its disc, the ray will make short kicks with its tail that sometimes send it into barrel rolls or somersaults. 

PREY AND ENEMIES

prey

enemies

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