Electric Rays: Where They Get Their Electricity, Are They Dangerous to Humans, and Interesting Facts

The underwater world holds many secrets and mysteries. Among its inhabitants, there are both small timid fish and large aggressive predators, as well as harmless creatures that inspire genuine horror with their appearance. And there are also incredibly beautiful creatures capable of killing in split seconds. One of such creatures is the Electric ray.

For a person intruding into their territory, it is advisable to behave very cautiously; otherwise, diving could turn into a deadly adventure. Rays like to bury themselves in the sand, exposing only their eyes, so it’s easy to step on an underwater socket, and they won’t appreciate it.

How to Distinguish an Electric Ray?

1. Electric rays are quite easy to distinguish among other animals inhabiting the underwater expanses. Externally, these fish resemble a disc ranging from 50 cm to 1 meter in diameter with a slight elongation in the form of a movable tail adorned with a fin.
2. On the sides of their rounded bodies are kidney-shaped organs that generate electricity.
3. A distinctive feature of this type of ray is the upper location of the eyes. Divers who have had a close encounter with it say that the ray attentively observes everything happening around, noticing the smallest details. But this is not the case, as flatfish are practically blind.
4. The coloration of the electric ray can vary from a dull gray tone to bright colors. The “coat” depends largely on the habitat of these amazing creatures, allowing them to remain almost unnoticed against the background of the seabed. Regardless of the coloration, a representative of the genus Torpediniformes will still be an almost perfect hunter, killing its prey in a lethal “embrace” – it surrounds flounders, salmon, or moray eels with its pectoral fins and delivers a series of electric shocks.
5. Watching the measured and unhurried movements of the swimming ray is mesmerizing. Despite its quite large size, it seems that this perfect underwater inhabitant is floating in some sort of meditative trance, detached from everything around it. But this impression is deceptive.

What Is the Current for the Ray?

1. The electric ray got its name thanks to its ability to generate a charge in its body ranging from 8 to 220 volts (depending on the species of fish).
2. Primarily, this ability is necessary for it to compensate for poor vision with electroreception – “feeling” the surrounding world with the help of electric impulses.
3. If the electric ray senses danger, it directs a stream of electric particles in that direction, using it as a weapon and shocking everything around it.
4. The ray remains unharmed itself due to the presence of “insulated” areas on its flat body.

The Electric Ray Could Be Dangerous for Humans, But:

1. Electric rays do not deliberately attack humans. In ancient times, their ability to generate electricity was used in medicine, primarily as a pain reliever. The fish were applied to specific points on the body, and unpleasant sensations disappeared.
2. However, if safety rules are not followed, electric rays can have detrimental effects on human health, ranging from local burns to paralysis. These fish, like batteries, can accumulate energy for some time. If enough energy is gathered, an encounter between a resident of the underwater world and a human can have a lethal outcome for the latter.
3. If a person merely touches an electric ray, they will receive an electric shock, the voltage of which depends on how much charge the ray has accumulated – it’s a matter of luck. However, with prolonged contact, for example, if one closely hugs the fish, the heart may not withstand the load.
4. Therefore, it is better to avoid swimming in areas where electric rays live (these are primarily reefs and muddy bays, other places with soft bottoms and lots of algae) and to avoid contact with them.
5. In case of extreme necessity to enter the water in “ray-prone” areas, one should wear a special suit, carefully inspect the bottom if possible, and avoid holding captured flatfish simultaneously by the back and abdomen.

How Does the Electric Ray Shock?

1. If you look at the ray from below, you can see on its belly convex “bumps,” which are modified muscles, the so-called “batteries.” It is in these organs that electric charges are generated.
2. The functions of the oppositely charged “poles” are performed by the belly and back of the flatfish.
3. Rays completely control the current formed in their bodies. This is controlled by a special section of the brain, so the discharge never occurs spontaneously.
4. In addition, fish that generate electricity can also control the power of the shocks – from microimpulses needed for spatial orientation to powerful shocks.

Interesting Facts About Electric Rays:

1. Zoologists claim that electric rays are close relatives of sharks.
2. Rays are found in all oceans, including the Arctic Ocean, in many seas, and even in some freshwater rivers.
3. The ability to generate charged particles is possessed not only by electric rays but also by about 60 species of flat inhabitants of water bodies.
4. Rays prefer passive hunting. They can lie motionless on the bottom for a very long time, waiting for prey of the right size. And only when it approaches at an acceptable distance for an attack, they strike with a series of consecutive electric shocks with a total power of up to 220 volts.
5. These fish are edible. The flesh from the sides and liver is edible. But due to the risk of getting an electric shock, fishermen prefer not to deal with them.
6. There is not a single bone in the ray’s body. Their skeleton is entirely formed of cartilage.
7. This marine predator never sees its prey. Its eyes are located on the upper part of the body, and the mouth is on the abdomen of the animal.
8. The largest ray ever caught weighed 2.5 tons.
9. Fish capable of generating electric current in their bodies prefer to settle in shallow waters. However, depth is not an obstacle for rays. Some individuals inhabit depths of more than 2 km from the surface.
10. One species of electric rays is called “sea devils” because of the growths on their heads, very similar to horns.
11. These creatures are also called “sea butterflies” – when a ray swims, it gives the impression that a huge butterfly is flying underwater. The optical illusion is especially strong if the flatfish’s skin is adorned with bright patterns.
12. During the mating season, female rays gather around themselves a harem of members of the opposite sex. For some time, they engage in a mating challenge, during which the fastest and most agile is chosen as a partner to continue the lineage. Electric rays are viviparous; usually, 10-14 offspring are born from one fish.
13. When foraging, these creatures can cover long distances without much effort. Their streamlined body shape is excellently adapted for swimming.
14. The mechanism developed by rays for hunting and defense is used by humans when creating electric medical devices, such as pacemakers.