You can sponsor this page

Torpedo marmorata Risso, 1810

Marbled electric ray
Add your observation in Fish Watcher
Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Torpedo marmorata   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
Upload your photos and videos
Pictures | Videos | Google image
Image of Torpedo marmorata (Marbled electric ray)
Torpedo marmorata
Picture by Patzner, R.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Torpediniformes (Electric rays) > Torpedinidae (Electric rays)
Etymology: Torpedo: Latin, torpere = be sluggish (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Risso.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 370 m (Ref. 4430). Subtropical; ? - 20°C (Ref. 10011); 60°N - 34°S, 19°W - 36°E (Ref. 114953)

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

Eastern Atlantic: northern UK (less common in southern North Sea and Kattegat) to Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. Also in the Mediterranean Sea.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 44.0, range 39 - 49 cm
Max length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 27000); common length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 114953); max. published weight: 3.0 kg (Ref. 35388)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Vertebrae: 104 - 108. Disc-width around the same as its length, length and width 1,50 to 1,70 times in total length; dorsal fins more or less rounded, its base 1,50 times in its height (Ref. 39215).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Occurs in seagrass areas, rocky reefs, and adjacent soft bottoms (Ref. 12951). Avoids temperatures above 20°C (Ref. 10011). Nocturnal, usually burying itself during the day with only the eyes and spiracle jutting out (Ref. 12382). Feeds on small benthic fishes Trachurus, Mugil, Mullus, Dicentrarchus, Spondyliosoma, Boops, Labrus, Dascyllus, Pomacentrus) and crustaceans (Ref. 10011). Females outlive males; viviparous, neonates measuring 10-14 cm at birth (Ref. 10426). Produces 2-32 pups in a litter after a 10-month gestation (Ref. 12951, Ref. 114953). Males reaches maturity at ca. 30 cm TL, females at ca. 40 cm TL; born at 10-14 cm TL (Ref. 114953). Electrocytes start developing when the embryo weighs about 1 g; electric organs functional before birth and newborns can use their electric organ discharge (EOD) in capturing prey (Ref. 10428). Can produce electric discharges of up to 200 volts; EOD frequency up to 600 Hz. Jumps on fast-moving prey, paralyzing it with its EOD (Ref. 27000).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Exhibit ovoviparity (aplacental viviparity), with embryos feeding initially on yolk, then receiving additional nourishment from the mother by indirect absorption of uterine fluid enriched with mucus, fat or protein through specialised structures (Ref. 50449).

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

Stehmann, M. and D.L. Bürkel, 1984. Torpedinidae. p. 159-162. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1. (Ref. 2803)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Vulnerable (VU) (A2bd); Date assessed: 31 August 2020

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Other (Ref. 4690)





Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: public aquariums
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Collaborators
Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
Pictures
References
References

Tools

Special reports

Download XML

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | DORIS | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 10.1 - 19.2, mean 14.1 °C (based on 392 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5005   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01820 (0.01478 - 0.02241), b=2.93 (2.87 - 2.99), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.5   ±0.0 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec=5-32).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  High vulnerability (60 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 5.92 [0.80, 27.36] mg/100g; Iron = 0.378 [0.092, 1.074] mg/100g; Protein = 19.4 [14.9, 22.8] %; Omega3 = 0.27 [0.11, 0.65] g/100g; Selenium = 14.8 [4.2, 42.9] μg/100g; VitaminA = 63.8 [17.2, 235.5] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.555 [0.260, 1.159] mg/100g (wet weight);