Common torpedo ray
Torpedo torpedo
- Scientific name
- Torpedo torpedo
- Group
- Sharks & Rays
- Rarity
- Rare
- Where to see it
- Mediterranean
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Vulnerable
Did you know?
The common torpedo ray generates electric shocks of up to several dozen volts using specialized organs on either side of its head. It uses these jolts both to stun prey and to deter would-be predators.
What defines this group — Sharks & Rays
The cartilaginous fish: not a single bone in the body, a skeleton made entirely of cartilage.
- A cartilage skeleton, lighter and more flexible than bone.
- No gill cover: five to seven gill slits open on the sides or underneath.
- Pores on the snout — the ampullae of Lorenzini — pick up the electric field of prey.
Other species in this group
- Common stingray
- Blacktip reef shark
- Small-spotted catshark
- Bluespotted ribbontail ray
- Thornback ray
- Spiny dogfish