Pacific electric ray

style="background:#Template:Taxobox colour;"|Pacific electric ray
In the Channel Islands National Park, California In the Channel Islands National Park, California
Conservation status
File:Status iucn2.3 LC.svg Least Concern
style="background:#Template:Taxobox colour;" | Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: Elasmobranchii Order: Torpediniformes Family: Torpedinidae Genus: Torpedo Species: T. californica
Binomial name
Torpedo californica Ayres, 1855

The Pacific electric ray (Torpedo californica) is a species of electric ray native to the eastern Pacific Ocean. The range of the species is from British Columbia, Canada to Baja California, Mexico, and possibly also other areas of the Pacific.

The ray can reach a total length of 140 cm and a weight of 41 kg. The body is round and gray with small black spots on the dorsal side. The two dorsal fins are located near the tail.

The rays are found in kelp forests and on sandy bottoms, sometimes partially buried in the sand. It feeds on bony fish, primarily herrings and halibut. It can stun prey using electric discharges from its electric organ. The discharges can reach 50 volt at 1 kilowatt resulting in 20 amperes (<math>1 \mathrm{W} = 1 \mathrm{V} \cdot 1 \mathrm{A}</math>). It is ovoviviparous and reproduces slowly with a doubling time estimated to be between 4.5 and 14 years.

The torpedo rays have been used as model organisms for molecular biology research because of the high natural abundance of some proteins in its electrical organs, notable examples being acetylcholinesterase and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

References

• Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
• Template:ITIS
• Template:FishBase species