Fun Lesser Electric Ray Facts For Kids

The lesser electric ray (Narcine bancroftii) is found in the coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The species is known by many different names, such as the spotted torpedo ray, the small electric ray, the trembler, and the torpedo fish. This fish can be recognized by its flat and oval-shaped disc and its large pelvic fins. The fish has oversized dorsal fins and a big caudal fin. It also has an elongated oval disc. The length of its body is slightly smaller than other electric rays.The lesser electric ray has two electric organs which are elongated. These electric organs are seen from the front of the eyes to the back end of the disc. Although these numbfish have a low-intensity shock compared to other electric rays, a lesser electric ray shock can still easily stun a diver.For more content, check out these manta ray facts and stingray facts.

What do they prey on? Polychaete annelids, snake eels, sea anemones, small bony fish

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? 4-14

How much do they weigh? N/A

How long are they? 18 in (45.72 cm)

How tall are they? Width: 8 in (20.32 cm)

What do they look like? Dark-brown and reddish-orange

Skin Type Slimy skin

What were their main threats? Overfishing By Humans

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Coastal Waters Of Sandy Or Muddy Beaches

Locations Brazil, North Carolina, The Western Atlantic Ocean

Kingdom AnimaliaAnimalia

Genus Narcine

Class Chondrichthyes

Family Narcinidae

Lesser Electric Ray Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a lesser electric ray?A lesser electric ray is a species of numbfish.What class of animal does a lesser electric ray belong to?This fish falls under the class of Chondrichthyes in the kingdom of Animalia.How many lesser electric rays are there in the world?The population of the lesser electric ray is not known. There is no immediate danger to the population of the species.Where does a lesser electric ray live?The lesser electric ray is found in the western Atlantic Ocean and is also locally found in the Gulf of Mexico. In the Atlantic Ocean, the species is found between Argentina and North Carolina and also in the Pacific Ocean near the Yucatan Peninsula. This ray is also found in northeastern Brazil and in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies.Like the lesser electric ray, there is a species called the Brazilian electric ray (Narcine brasiliensis) which is one of the other species of the genus Narcine in the family Narcinidae. The Brazilian electric ray is found in the coastal waters of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina.What is a lesser electric ray’s habitat?The spotted torpedo ray or the lesser electric ray is found along beaches and in coastal waters within its range. The species is found under mud or sand. The torpedo ray is also found in intertidal shallow waters in depths up to 180 ft (54.86 m). The fish is found living in the surf zone of muddy and sandy beaches. It is found partially buried under the sand, in seagrass beds, and near coral reefs.Who do lesser electric rays live with?The companion these fish keep is not known. They are found buried in the sand alone most of the time.How long does a lesser electric ray live?The lifespan of this species is not known.How do they reproduce?Internal fertilization is used for reproduction. Pups are born live and the gestation period is three to six months long. The average litter size is four to 14 pups. Pups are independent from birth and are of a length of 3.54 in (9 cm).What is their conservation status?The lesser electric ray (Narcine bancroftii) is categorized as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. As the lesser electric ray Endangered status has been downgraded to Least Concern, the population is not in much danger currently.Lesser Electric Ray Fun FactsWhat do lesser electric rays look like?Electric rays are part of the superorder Batoidea, which includes skates, stingrays, sawfish, and guitarfish. All these fish have their skeletons made of connecting tissues called cartilage. The lesser electric ray has a circular body with a short tail. The fish has a dark brown to reddish-orange coloration and has irregular oval rings. Many rounded dark blotches can be seen which are outlined with dark or black circles on the dorsal disc. This disc is white or green ventrally. There are between 17-34 teeth in each row.How cute are they?They are considered quite cute as their tail is thick on their round disc and their dorsal fins and cordal fin are well developed.How do they communicate?The electric organs of electric rays are used to detect prey and also to communicate with each other.How big is a lesser electric ray?The average lesser electric ray size is 18 in (45.72 cm) in length and 8 in (20.32 cm) wide. The cownose ray is another species of rays that has a length range up to 45 in (114.3 cm). The Brazilian electric ray (Narcine brasiliensis) from the coastal waters of Brazil has a length of 17.7 in (45 cm).How fast can a lesser electric ray swim?They are not quick swimmers, but their exact speed is not known.How much does a lesser electric ray weigh?The weight of the lesser electric ray (Narcine bancroftii) is not known. Eagle rays are a group of flat, disc-like fish with wing-like pectoral fins. They belong to the family Myliobatidae and the weight of these fish has a range of up to 507 lb (230 kg).What are their male and female names of the species?Males and females are not given different names.What would you call a baby lesser electric ray?Lesser electric ray babies are called juveniles or pups.What do they eat?The lesser electric ray (Narcine bancroftii) mainly feeds on polychaete annelids. However, they also eat short-length snake eels, bony fish, different species of crustaceans, and sea anemones. This fish comes out at night to feed and stuns its prey with electricity to catch it. The ray uses its pectoral fins to guide the food to its mouth. Its mouth is located under its body. The lesser electric ray is known to have a lot of predators, such as bigger fish and sharks.Are they aggressive?Although they are not usually aggressive, they can easily stun a human being if disturbed.Would they make a good pet?Not suitable as pets, as they can stun humans.Did you know…The lesser electric ray (Narcine bancroftii) is dangerous enough to knock a human unconscious for some time.Electric rays have special electric organs which they use to stun and ambush their prey and predators. These fish are able to eat most of their food whole.Can lesser electric rays create electric discharge?The peak voltage of these lesser electric rays is 14–37 V. This is enough to knock a human being out, so care should be taken while in the proximity of these animals. Poking and annoying these fish is dangerous. Large Atlantic torpedo rays can produce up to 220 Vof peak voltage, which can severely injure a human. However, it is usually not fatal.Are lesser electric rays endangered?The lesser electric ray (Narcine bancroftii) once had a Critically Endangered status, but this was derived from research on a very small sample size. After thorough research, it was found that the species is abundant now and there is no immediate danger to them for the foreseeable future. Their status has now been changed to Least Concern, however, they are still in danger of getting caught as bycatch in coastal shrimp fisheries.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these giant guitarfish fun facts and giant frogfish interesting facts for kids.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable manta ray coloring pages.

What type of animal is a lesser electric ray?

A lesser electric ray is a species of numbfish.

Fun Lesser Electric Ray Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Polychaete annelids, snake eels, sea anemones, small bony fish

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? 4-14

How much do they weigh? N/A

How long are they? 18 in (45.72 cm)

How tall are they? Width: 8 in (20.32 cm)

What do they look like? Dark-brown and reddish-orange

Skin Type Slimy skin

What were their main threats? Overfishing By Humans

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Coastal Waters Of Sandy Or Muddy Beaches

Locations Brazil, North Carolina, The Western Atlantic Ocean

Kingdom AnimaliaAnimalia

Genus Narcine

Class Chondrichthyes

Family Narcinidae

Fun Lesser Electric Ray Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Polychaete annelids, snake eels, sea anemones, small bony fish

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? 4-14

How much do they weigh? N/A

How long are they? 18 in (45.72 cm)

How tall are they? Width: 8 in (20.32 cm)

What do they look like? Dark-brown and reddish-orange

Skin Type Slimy skin

What were their main threats? Overfishing By Humans

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Coastal Waters Of Sandy Or Muddy Beaches

Locations Brazil, North Carolina, The Western Atlantic Ocean

Kingdom AnimaliaAnimalia

Genus Narcine

Class Chondrichthyes

Family Narcinidae

Fun Lesser Electric Ray Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Polychaete annelids, snake eels, sea anemones, small bony fish

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? 4-14

How much do they weigh? N/A

How long are they? 18 in (45.72 cm)

How tall are they? Width: 8 in (20.32 cm)

What do they look like? Dark-brown and reddish-orange

Skin Type Slimy skin

What were their main threats? Overfishing By Humans

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Coastal Waters Of Sandy Or Muddy Beaches

Locations Brazil, North Carolina, The Western Atlantic Ocean

Kingdom AnimaliaAnimalia

Genus Narcine

Class Chondrichthyes

Family Narcinidae