Description: Large ray with a huge, paddle-shaped caudal fin and with no papillae around spiracles. Shiny black or dark grey above, underside white. Broad subcircular disc, short snout anterior to the eyes. Smooth skin, short thick tail. Dark chocolate to purplish brown above, without spots, white below, but with edges of disc and pelvic fins of same hue as upper surface, tail with irregular dark margins. Packs a powerful electric shock of up to 220 volts.
Global Distribution: Eastern Atlantic from Scotland (rare in North Sea) to South Africa, whole of Mediterranean, but not in the Black Sea. Western Atlantic from Canada to Brazil. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 180 cm (total length); common length 40.0 cm (TL); maximum published weight: 90.0 kg.
Population structure & migrations: Can migrate over long distances.
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: 2 - 800 m, usually 10 - 150 m.
Habitat: Benthopelagic. Juveniles benthic over soft bottoms or near coral reefs from 10-150 m; adults are semi-pelagic to pelagic, swimming in the water column.
Feeding habits: Feeds mainly on pelagic and benthic bony fishes and small sharks.
Trophic level: FishBase: 4.5
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Low commercial interest.
Conservation status: Global: Data deficient.
Europe: Least concern.
Nutritional information & food safety:
REFERENCES
Borges T.C., Olim S., Erzini K. (2003). Weight–length relationships for fish species discarded in commercial fisheries of the Algarve (southern Portugal). Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 19(6): 394-396.
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
Nieto A., Ralph G.M., Comeros-Raynal M.T., Kemp J., GarcÃa Criado M., Allen D.J., Dulvy N.K., Walls R.H.L., Russell B., Pollard D., GarcÃa S., Craig M., Collette B.B., Pollom R., Biscoito M., Labbish Chao N., Abella A., Afonso P., Ãlvarez H., Carpenter K.E., Clò S., Cook R., Costa M.J., Delgado J., Dureuil M., Ellis J.R., Farrell E.D., Fernandes P., Florin A-B., Fordham S., Fowle, S., Gil de Sola L., Gil Herrera J., Goodpaster A., Harvey M., Heessen H., Herler J., Jung A., Karmovskaya E., Keskin C., Knudsen S.W., Kobyliansky S., KovaÄić M., Lawson J.M., Lorance P., McCully Phillips S., Munroe T., Nedreaas K., Nielsen J., Papaconstantinou C., Polidoro B., Pollock C.M., Rijnsdorp A.D., Sayer C., Scott J., Serena F., Smith-Vaniz W.F., Soldo A., Stump E., Williams J.T. (2015). Europen Red List of Marine Fishes. IUCN and European Union, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 90 pp.
