Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Torpediniformes (Electric rays) > Torpedinidae (Electric rays)
Etymology: Torpedo: Latin, torpere = be sluggish (Ref. 45335); californica: Named after the state of California (Ref. 6885). More on author: Ayres.

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; demersal; depth range 0 - 425 m (Ref. 6793), usually 3 - 200 m (Ref. 55307). Temperate; 48°N - 23°N, 126°W - 110°W (Ref. 55307)

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ?, range 73 - ? cm
Max length : 140 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12951); 137.0 cm TL (female); max. published weight: g; max. reported age: 16 years (Ref. 48844)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Gray with scattered black spots dorsally, no ocelli. 1st dorsal fin much larger than 2nd. Spiracle margin smooth and without papillae.

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Pacific: Dixon Entrance, British Columbia, Canada to Sebastian Vizcaino Bay, Baja California, Mexico. Electric rays off Peru, Chile, and Japan may belong to this species (Ref. 2850).

Found on the outer continental shelf, around rocks, in kelp beds, over fine sand bottoms or buried in sand. Solitary, nomadic, and can remain suspended in the water with minimal swimming (Ref. 12951). Feeds on bony fishes, mainly herrings and halibuts. Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Attacks their prey from the substratum by day and actively forage at night with the aid of its electric organ discharge or EOD (Ref. 10011). The EOD of a large individual was measured at 50 V; with a low internal organ resistance the power output exceeded 1 kW (Ref. 10480). Aggressive when provoked but no human has yet been injured by the electric shock (Ref. 2850). Does not do well in aquariums (Ref. 12951).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Carvalho, Marcelo | Collaborators

Allen, M.J. and G.B. Smith, 1988. Atlas and zoogeography of common fishes in the Bering Sea and northeastern Pacific. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 66, 151 p.

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)

Least Concern (LC)

Threat to humans

Other (Ref. 13513)

Human uses

FAO(Publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance

References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion

Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on empirical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01482 (-0.17054 - 0.20017), b=2.96573 (2.85285 - 3.07861), based on LWR estimates for this family-BS (Ref. 93245).

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278): 4.5 ±0.80 se; Based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 69278): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec = 17).

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (78 of 100) .

Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.

Torpedo californica Ayres, 1855