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Electric fish: Torpedoes

As unbelievable as it sounds,the idea of a fish being able to generate electricity strong enough to light a bulb or even stun a man is actually real.

What's more is that several kinds of fish belonging to different families have this ability.

Today,the focus is the electric ray also known as torpedoes.


Description

They are a group of flattened cartilaginous fish with enlarged pectoral fins.

   They are soft,smooth skinned,with a nearly circular body disk formed by its head and pectoral fins and grow to a length between the range of 2-6ft.


Electric ray:Torpedoes Facts


•It gives birth to live young ones

•It is a fish-eater,using its electrical ability to stun other fishes.

•Its has to be touched in order to discharge electric shocks

•It is a quite sluggish fish but still manages to catch very active fish.

•The biggest ones give off charges of potential difference of between 170-220V.


Mystery solved


They possess on each side of the head,behind the eyes a disk-shaped electric organ.
  The disk-shaped organs consist of small hexagonal shaped cells.The cells are filled with jelly-like substance,and contain about 45 columns of around 700 electrocytes.

The negative side of the electric plate is supplied with very fine nerves connected to the brain.Current passes from the positive side of the organ downwards to the negative.

 Generally, a two-way contact with the fish is necessary to receive a shock.

  The strength of the shock depends on the size of the fish.Newlyborn ones can be made to light the bulb of a small torch for a few moments while a fully grown one produce a shock capable of knocking down a man!







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