The electric stingray is an amazing marine animal that has the unique ability to generate electric current for protection and hunting. It arouses interest among people and is 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.
Distinctive properties of the species
The electric stingray is an inhabitant of the seas, belonging to the cartilaginous fish. It stands out because it has two electrical organs.Its varieties belong to four distinct families containing over sixty species.
The electric ray is characterized by a disc-shaped body with a tail-like extension on which a 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.
The coloring of sea rays varies from simple and barely noticeable to bright and varied patterns. The electric ray's eyes are located on top, which results in its 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 capable of delivering an electrical shock ranging from six to two hundred and twenty volts, allowing it to attack prey or scare off potential threats.
From birth, juvenile stingrays are endowed with an electrical charge. Adult females are capable of giving birth to eight to fourteen babies at a time. Newborns are very small, measuring only two centimeters.
Apart from their electrifying abilities, these aquatic creatures also have excellent swimming skills thanks to their rounded fins that allow them to glide through the water with ease and cover long distances without expending much energy. This helps them hunt for food and provide nutrition for themselves and their offspring.
The stingray's diet consists mainly of fish, although it does not disdain carrion. The smaller species feed on tiny marine organisms, while the larger species consume a variety of fish.
When hunting for prey, the fish will chase it before "embracing" its fins and delivering a series of electrical shocks that cause death.
Habitat
The habitats of this fish are varied. It lives in reefs, clayey bays and near sandy beaches. Occasionally it can be found in the depths of seas and oceans at a depth of up to one kilometer. This fish species is found only in temperate and tropical waters.
Where does the stingray get its current?
Let us immediately note that all fish are capable of generating electricity, although the vast majority of them produce it in such weak quantities that it is not detectable upon contact. This ability is due to their unique muscle 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 defense against predators.
Electric sea creatures are able to create electricity as they move due to constant changes in their muscles and interactions with their environment. The head and tail act as plus and minus respectively, maintaining an electrical charge within the muscles like a battery.
The special storage muscles of fish look different, but their design is similar. Muscles are composed of columns, which are further divided into plates. To generate electricity, the columns are arranged in parallel and the plates are arranged in series. This creates a potential difference between them and generates energy as they move, resulting in a charge.
An 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 finally finish off an enemy or kill a prey. The strikes are targeted and are in no way spontaneous, so it is impossible to get a charge just by touching the fish.
Why is it needed?
The stingray has the ability of 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 to have.
But basically, fish use this “weapon” only when they are in close proximity to their prey.
Is stingray dangerous for humans?
These marine creatures are dangerous to humans, although electric shocks are usually more harmful to small fish. Low levels of electricity cause severe pain, and large shocks can cause paralysis or death. Therefore, people should stay away from areas where electric rays live and never touch fish in the water or on land to avoid injury.
Despite this, researchers have found that these fish were used as an anesthetic in ancient Greece, used during operations and childbirth.The stingray was applied to the place causing suffering, and its electrical voltage relieved the pain. This use of these fish inspired the scientists of that time to develop modern electrical medical devices.
Interesting Facts
Here are some facts about stingrays:
- Zoologists say that electric rays are closely related by their “ancestry” to sharks.
- 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 for them to attack with a series of electric shocks totaling up to 220 volts.
- These fish are edible; Their sides and liver are tasty, but fishermen generally avoid them due to the risk of electrocution.
- There is not a single bone in the body of a stingray; instead, their skeleton is made entirely of cartilage.
- This aquatic predator can never see its prey because its eyes are located in the upper part of the body and its mouth is located below.
- The largest specimen ever caught weighed an impressive two and a half tons.
- Fish that can generate electricity in their bodies usually live in shallow waters, but there is nothing stopping stingrays from living in deep waters - some have been found living at depths of up to two kilometers.
- One species of electric ray is known as the "sea devil" because of the horn-like projections that grow from its head.
