Family: NARCINIDAE, Electric Ray, Electric Rays

FAMILY NARCINIDAE

ELECTRIC RAYS

Electric rays are small (to ~ 75 cm) have a very flat, oval disc, which is convex at the front, with moderately soft edges, that is composed of the head, trunk, and enlarged pectoral fins; well-developed electrical organs visible as kidney-shaped mounds on either side of the head; they also have an accessory electric organ behind to the main electric organ; mouth small, transverse, completely surrounded by lip furrows, can be extended as a tube; with a curtain between nostrils and mouth; two large, similar sized dorsal fins; upper and lower lobes of the large tail fin are continuous around the tip; skin soft and loose, without denticles or thorns.

The family is distributed in all tropical and temperate seas and contains about 4 genera and ~ 23 species. There are 3 genera and 6 species in the Greater Caribbean.

PREPARED BY D ROSS ROBERTSON, AFTER MCEACHRAN & CARVALHO (2002)