Tetronarce macneilli
| Tetronarce macneilli | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Torpediniformes |
| Family: | Torpedinidae |
| Genus: | Tetronarce |
| Species: | T. macneilli |
| Binomial name | |
| Tetronarce macneilli Whitley, 1932 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Notastrape macneilli Whitley, 1938 | |
Tetronarce macneilli also known as the Shortail torpedo is a species of large electric ray. The taxonomy of the species has been long debated and has been suggested that it is synonymous with Torpedo fairchildi.[1]
Taxonomy
The genus name Torpedo is a reference to the Latin word torpere, which means to "be sluggish".[2] This species is placed in the genus Tetronarce.[3]
Distribution and Habitat
This species is found off of southern Australia from Port Hedland to the Swain Reefs in tropical-cool temperate waters. It is noted for having an unusually large range for a ray species. It inhabits sloped continental shelves and slopes from 90 metres (300 ft) to 750 metres (2,460 ft). It feeds on fishes and crustaceans.[1]
Description
T. macneilli can grow up to 107 centimetres (42 in) long. It is capable of delivering an intense electric shock if handled in defense and also uses this ability to hunt prey.[2]
References
- 1 2 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2015). "Torpedo macneilli" in FishBase. April 2015 version.
- 1 2 Compagno, L.J.V. & Last, P.R. (1999): Torpedinidae. Torpedos. p. 1449-1451. In K.E. Carpenter and V.H. Niem (eds.) FAO identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO, Rome.
- ↑ Carvalho, M.R. de. (2015): Torpedinidae. In : Heemstra, P.C., Heemstra, E. & Ebert, D.A. (Eds.), Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean. Vol. 1. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Grahamstown, South Africa. In press.