Narcine brasiliensis
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fishes)
Torpediniformes (Electric Rays)
Narcinidae (Electric Rays)
Narcine
Narcine brasiliensis
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Nearly uniformly convex disc, moderately long snout, stout tail, preorbital length 11% to 13% of TL, nasal curtain rectangular with rounded corners, tooth rows 17 to 33 or 34 in juveniles and adults, eye about two-thirds diameter of spiracle, 12 to 20 rounded papillae on spiracle, gill slits small, pelvic fin originates at axil of pectoral fin, first dorsal fin originates posterior to insertion of pelvic fin, caudal fin resembles equilateral triangle
Dark brown, grayish brown, or reddish orange dorsally, ventral surface white to yellowish or greenish, posterior margins of disc and pelvic fins dusky, dorsal surface varies from plain colored to irregularly patterned with vague dark blotches or bars, juveniles have numerous dark rings, oval loops, or dark blotches with lighter centers
Distribution
Western Atlantic from Cape Lookout, North Carolina (rare); northern Florida; throughout the Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
From the shoreline to 37 m
Biology
Polychaetes
Maximum known size is 450 mm TL
Litters range from 4 to 15 young, males mature at 225 to 250 mm TL, females mature at 271 to 320 mm TL, and young are 110 to 120 mm TL at birth
Inhabits coastal waters, on sand or mud bottoms (Ref. 26340). Common along sandy shorelines, sometimes near coral reefs (Ref. 12951). Aggregates in shallow waters ca. 10-20 m deep during summer and autumn months, dispersing to deeper waters during winter (Ref. 114953). Buries itself with only eyes protruding (Ref. 12951). Nocturnal, moves to shallow bays at night to feed; prefers worms, but may take juvenile snake eels, anemones, and, small crustaceans (Ref. 12951). Produces broods of 4 to 15 young (Ref. 26938). Reaches ca. 45 cm TL. Both sexes mature by 27 cm TL; birth size at ca. 11 cm TL (Ref. 114953). Can discharge between 14 and 37 volts. Contact with the skin can produce a severe electric shock. In addition to the main electric organ, this species possesses a bilateral accessory electric organ (Ref. 10011) speculated to have a possible role in social communication (Ref. 10489). Reported to taste good, but not fished commercially. Traded as an aquarium fish at Ceará, Brazil (Ref. 49392).
IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened (NT), assessed 2019-07-01. Resilience: Low (Assuming fecundity<100).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by a combination of characters
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: commercial.
References
Gunter 1945
Bigelow and Schroeder 1953a
Hoese and Moore 1977
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Vega-Cendejas, M.E., F. Arreguin-Sanchez and M. Hernandez (1993) Trophic fluxes on the Campeche Bank, Mexico. p. 206-213. In D. Pauly and V. Christensen (eds.) Trophic models of aquatic ecosystems. ICLARM Conf. Proc. 26.
Uyeno, T., K. Matsuura and E. Fujii (eds.) (1983) Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo, Japan. 519 p.
Claro, R. (1994) Características generales de la ictiofauna. p. 55-70. In R. Claro (ed.) Ecología de los peces marinos de Cuba. Instituto de Oceanología Academia de Ciencias de Cuba and Centro de Investigaciones de Quintana Roo.
Smith, C.L. (1997) National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.
Gómez-Canchong, P., L. Manjarrés M., L.O. Duarte and J. Altamar (2004) Atlas pesquero del area norte del Mar Caribe de Colombia. Universidad del Magadalena, Santa Marta. 230 p.
Comments On Narcine brasiliensis