Marbled electric rays set themselves apart from more traditional rays that have venomous barbs or scales. These rays have a fascinating way of hunting prey or deflecting predators — by using specialized electric organs, they can deliver a shock of up to 200 volts. That’s enough electricity to start a dishwasher!
DISTRIBUTION
This ray is a solitary species that lives in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean (northern Europe to South Africa) and the Mediterranean Sea.
The marbled electric ray prefers to lay low in seagrass, rocky reefs, and along the seafloor. It buries itself beneath the sediment during the day, leaving only its specialized respiratory openings and eyes exposed.
DESCRIPTION
This stunning ray is appropriately named for its charged organs and marbled appearance, sporting a distinctly round, flat body covered with brown marbling. It can reach up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) in length and has a short tail decorated with two rounded dorsal fins, and a large caudal fin. These rays are likely to reproduce every two years. There appears to be a link between the size of the female and how many offspring she produces, with larger females producing more. Female marbled electric rays produce 5-32 young.
DIET
It is known to hunt a variety of small fish and invertebrates and does not have many natural predators due to its size and unique ability to defend itself. This is one of the lesser understood species of rays, as its shocking reputation causes fishers to quickly release it and ocean goers to avoid it.
THREATS TO MARBLED ELECTRIC RAYS
The primary threat to the marbled electric ray is incidental capture in various types of fishing gear. This species is not typically targeted due to low commercial value, but regular bycatch combined with high fishing pressure increases vulnerability leading to its assessment as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
EXPEDITION SIGHTINGS
Oceana has spotted and documented these rays on two of our expeditions – once in the Alboran Sea and another time in Gorringe Bank of Portugal.
The first expedition was to Gorringe Bank, Portugal, which lead to a significant Oceana win after the Gorringe marine protected area was established based on Oceana’s research. The impact of this win still grows to this day, as we recently celebrated extended protections to the Gorringe MPA, bringing Portugal’s marine protection to 30% – on target with global goals to hit 30% by 2030.
The second expedition connected to the marbled electric ray was to the Alboran Sea in 2022, which is the westernmost area of the Mediterranean. This Oceana expedition supported advocacy and communications around the issue of bottom trawling in marine protected areas.
Oceana expeditions would not be possible without partners like Anker, that recharge the future of Oceana’s research, which impacts policy and increases marine protections around the world.
This page is sponsored by Anker Innovations, an Oceana corporate partner. Just as marble rays have the ability to electrify the world around them, Anker SOLIX charges more than just electronics – powering Oceana’s expeditions and contributions to ocean conservation.
