Electric stingray: a description of the fish, what it looks like and what it eats, where it lives, how it shocks
Electric stingray is an amazing marine animal that has the unique ability to generate electric current for protection and hunting. It is of interest to people and is being studied by scientific researchers. This ancient species of fish is considered one of the most interesting inhabitants of the oceans and seas, capable of striking its victims with an electric discharge.
Different view properties
Electric stingray is an inhabitant of the seas, related to cartilaginous fish. It is distinguished by the fact that it has two electric organs. Its varieties belong to four separate families containing over sixty species.
The electric ray is characterized by a disk-shaped body with a tail-like extension, on which the caudal fin and one or two dorsal fins are located. Its size reaches fifty centimeters, but there are also larger specimens that reach one hundred and twenty centimeters in length and weigh about one hundred kg.
Stingrays range in color from simple and subtle to bright and varied patterns. The electric stingray's eyes are placed on top, resulting in relatively limited vision.
On the flat body of the fish, between the head and the front fins, there are two bean-shaped organs that generate electricity. This electrical energy is used by the stingray as a means of self-defense and to capture prey. When necessary, the fish is able to give an electric shock of six to two hundred and twenty volts, which allows it to attack prey or scare away potential threats.
From birth, juvenile stingrays are endowed with an electric charge. Adult females are capable of producing eight to fourteen babies at a time. Newborns are very small, only two centimeters in size.
Besides their electrifying abilities, these aquatic creatures also have excellent swimming skills thanks to their rounded fins, which allow them to glide through water with ease and travel long distances without expending much energy. This helps them hunt for food and provide food for themselves and their offspring.
The stingray's diet consists mainly of fish, while he does not disdain carrion. The smaller species feed on tiny marine organisms, while the larger species consume a wide variety of fish.
When hunting for prey, the fish will chase after it before wrapping its fins around it and delivering a series of electrical shocks that cause death.
Habitat
The habitats of this fish are diverse. It lives in reefs, clay bays and near sandy beaches. Occasionally, it can also be found in the depths of the seas and oceans at a depth of up to one kilometer. This species of fish is found only in temperate and tropical waters.
Where does the stingray come from
Immediately, we note that all fish are capable of generating electricity, although the vast majority of them produce it in such a weak amount that it is not detected upon contact. This ability is due to their unique muscular structure, which both generates and stores electricity. Some species have evolved this ability over time, allowing them to store large charges and use them as a defense against predators.
Electric sea creatures are able to create electricity as they move through constant changes in their muscles and interaction with the environment.The head and tail act as plus and minus respectively, keeping the electrical charge inside the muscles like a battery.
The special storage muscles of fish look different, but their design is similar. Muscles are made up of columns, which are further divided into plates. To generate electricity, the columns are arranged in parallel, and the plates are in series. This creates a potential difference between them and generates energy as they move, resulting in a charge.
Electric shock is delivered through bursts of energy. Fish use this method to target their prey, with some species releasing up to five hundred of these pulses to finish off the enemy or kill the prey. The hits are targeted and by no means spontaneous, so it's impossible to get a charge just by touching a fish.
Why is it needed
Scat has the ability to electroreception. He needs it in order to compensate for poor eyesight, using electrical impulses to “probe” the environment and search for food. If the stingray senses danger, then as a defense mechanism, it sends a stream of electrical particles in that direction and shocks everything that is nearby. However, due to the fact that some parts of its body are isolated from electricity, this fish remains unharmed. This is definitely an impressive skill.
But mostly fish use this "weapon" only when they are in close proximity to prey.
Is the stingray dangerous for humans
These marine creatures are dangerous to humans, although electric shocks usually harm small fish more. Low levels of electricity cause severe pain, and strong shocks can lead to paralysis or death of a person. Therefore, people should stay away from places where electric stingrays live, and never touch fish in water or on land, so as not to get hurt.
Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionIt is important to note that some varieties that have spotted colors also “armed themselves” with poisonous spikes on their tails. This is another argument in favor of the fact that it is better to stay away from them.Despite this, the researchers found that these fish were used as an anesthetic in ancient Greece, were used during operations and childbirth. The stingray was applied to a place that caused suffering, and its electrical voltage relieved pain. This use of these fish inspired the then scientists to develop modern electrical medical devices.
Interesting facts
Here are some facts about stingrays:
- Zoologists say that electric rays are closely related to sharks in their "pedigree"
- They are found in all oceans, as well as in many seas and even in some fresh water rivers.
- These predators choose passive hunting; they remain motionless on the seafloor for long periods of time until suitable prey gets close enough that they can attack with a series of shocks up to 220 volts total.
- These fish are edible; their flanks and livers are tasty, but fishermen tend to avoid them due to the risk of electric shock.
- There is not a single bone in the stingray's body; instead, their skeleton is made entirely of cartilage.
- This aquatic predator can never see its prey because its eyes are on the top of its body and its mouth is on the bottom.
- The largest specimen ever caught weighed an impressive two and a half tons.
- Fish that can generate electricity in their body usually live in shallow water, but nothing prevents stingrays from living in deep water - some have been found living at depths of up to two kilometers.
- One type of electric stingray is known as the "sea devil" because of the horn-like protrusions growing from its head.
