California electric ray
| California electric ray | ||||||||||||
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Californian electric ray ( Tetronarce californica ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Tetronarce californica | ||||||||||||
| ( Ayres , 1855) |
The California electric ray ( Tetronarce californica , Syn. : Torpedo californica ) is a ray species from the family of the torpedo . It occurs on the continental shelf of the Pacific coast of the USA and on the coast of Baja California , over sandy subsoil, around rocks and in kelp forests at depths of up to 200 meters. There he is the only representative of his family.
features
Its body is in the shape of a round disc with a short tail ending in a large caudal fin. It has two dorsal fins set far back, the first is much larger than the second. Its color is gray to gray-blue with black spots on the top. There are no eye spots . The two kidney-shaped electroplaxes are clearly visible at the transition from the body to the tail . Females reach a body length (with tail) of up to 137 cm and a weight of up to 41 kg. Males reach a maximum length of 91 cm.
Way of life
California electric rays are solitary and nomadic. You can keep yourself floating in the open water with minimal swimming movements. They hunt actively, especially at night. During the day they are hidden in the substrate and surprise their prey, especially herrings and flatfish , with their electric shocks. Large individuals can produce discharges with voltages above 50 volts with an output of 1 kW. California electric rays are ovoviviparous .
If they feel disturbed, California electric rays are also aggressive towards divers, swim over them with their mouths open and also give them electric shocks.
Web links
- Pacific Electric Ray on Fishbase.org (English)
- Description of the Florida Museum of Natural History (eng.)
- Tetronarce californica inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Endangered Species . Posted by: Neer, JA, 2005. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
literature
- Eschmeyer, Herald, Hamann: Pacific Coast Fishes. Peterson Field Guides, ISBN 0-395-33188-9 .
- Hans A. Baensch / Robert A. Patzner: Mergus Sea Water Atlas Volume 6 Non-Perciformes (non-perch-like). Mergus-Verlag, Melle 1998, ISBN 3-88244-116-X .