Narke

Common Names

Members of the genus Narke are commonly referred to as numbfish, torpedo rays, or electric rays. These names reflect the unique ability of these rays to generate strong electrical discharges, which they use to stun prey or deter predators.

Characteristics

Narke species exhibit the following key characteristics:

• Flattened body: Their bodies are dorsoventrally flattened, allowing them to lie flat on the seafloor.
• Large pectoral fins: They have large pectoral fins that are fused to their heads, giving them a distinctive disc-like shape.
• Electric organs: Narke rays possess specialized electric organs located on either side of their heads. These organs are composed of modified muscle tissue and can generate powerful electrical discharges.
• Small eyes and spiracles: Their eyes are relatively small, and they have prominent spiracles (breathing holes) located on the dorsal surface of their heads.
• Ventral mouth and gill slits: Their mouths are located on the ventral surface, and they have five pairs of gill slits.
• Smooth skin: The skin of Narke rays is smooth and lacks the spines or denticles found in some other ray species.

Environments

Narke rays inhabit a variety of marine environments, including:

• Coastal waters: They are often found in shallow coastal waters, especially in sandy or muddy bottoms.
• Continental shelves: Some species can be found on continental shelves, at depths of up to several hundred meters.
• Brackish water: Certain Narke species are known to tolerate brackish water conditions.

References

For more information on Narke, you can refer to these reliable sources:

• FishBase
• NCBI Taxonomy
• WoRMS