Why even sharks avoid electric rays

The ocean is full of animals with smart survival strategies, camouflage and armor to spines and toxins. But when it comes to treating top predators such as sharks or large marine mammals, most of these defenses do not hold back. This makes the electric radius so exciting. These animals, often called torpedoes, can produce strong electric shocks strong enough to stun the prey. New investigation He suggests that these same electric pulses can help them avoid becoming a meal – even from some of the most terrible predators in the ocean!

Using a mixture of diver observations, biology technology and in situ Experiments from the California coast, a team of scientists have gathered urgent evidence that electric rays can repel large sharks, including large white and tiger sharks.

This is not a small feat.

Large white can reach 20 feet lengths (6 meters) and tiger sharks are not far behind, with equally powerful jaws and a few natural predators. The idea that a relatively small animal such as an electric radius – usually just 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters) – can send these ocean packaging giants is so amazing and a little exciting. The torpedo rays, also known as electric rays, are a group of cartilage fish in oceans around the world, including the California coast. These rays belong to the family Torpedoes and include species such as Pacific Electric Ray (Tetronarce Californica). Unlike the most flexible or camouflaged species, torpedoes tend to be too late and are often hidden in seawater. Their flattened bodies house specialized electric instruments made of modified muscle cells called electrocytes, which produce strong eruptions of electricity, commonly used for impotence prey such as fish and straws.

Led by Dr. Yannis P. Papastamatiou of the International University of Florida, researchers were studying Pacific Electric Ray and watched how often and how long these animals were released electricity in different situations. Proves, behave differently depending on whether they are chasing or defending themselves. When taking game, electric rays are released longer and more frequent eruptions of electricity than during defense meetings. This is likely because catching a fish requires a more stable effort than giving a zap warning to a passing shark. Short explosions can also be restored faster, a useful feature when a threat can come back for a second attempt. But the energy behind these electric pulses is not cheap. Electric rays appear to be based on anaerobic metabolic trails to produce them, which means they are burnt quickly through energy warehouses without using oxygen. This probably limits how often and how long they can cause shock. Still, their strategy seems to work. Scientists have noted how rarely electrical rays appear in the contents of large sharks stomach and in combination with their intense behavior observed in the wild (that is, rays moving without much fear), all indicate that shock defense is more than a fancy. It could be an important reason why sharks give them space.

In the wild, the divers talked to see the electric rays to make strange sharks that took very close, sending them to move or swim. It seems unlikely, though? After all, what does a flinch shark do? Well, while the voltage varies depending on the type and size of the radius, some electric rays can produce up to 220 volts. This is more than enough to surprise even an experienced predator! And unlike many marine animals based on function or hiding, electric rays often stand – or rather, float – their ground.

This type of defense is particularly interesting in an evolutionary context. Marine predators such as sharks have been around hundreds of millions of years and are extremely effective hunters. Thus, any feature that allows a relatively slow, soft animal to avoid hunting must be taken seriously. Most animals with chemical defenses or spines continue to end up in the menu of large predators, even if it is not the first choice, but the electrical rays seem to be an exception. Their ability to produce targeted, timed electrical explosions seems to be one of the few strategies that really work against sharks – which could have a major impact on how we think of repellent shark. Current technologies of deterrent shark often try to imitate nature, using fields; magnetsor even visual patterns To keep sharks in the vagina. But not all of this is just as effective, especially when it comes to big, curious or determined predators. But that new study It offers a proof of the concept by nature that real -time electrical pulses can cause a strong avoidance response even to larger sharks. By observing how electric rays produce and develop their disorders (that is, how powerful they are, how long they last and when used) scientists could coordinate the next generation of repulsive sharks. A good time jolt can be much more effective than a low -level fixed field. May this open the door to the design of a smarter deterrent that is activated only when a shark is near, maintaining power and minimizing interference in another marine life?

While more research is needed to fully understand the range and effectiveness of these rejects, the results so far emphasize how specialized and specialized may some of the ocean defenses be. Nature has already understood how to make a shark think twice. The next step is the translation of this evolutionary advantage into practical tools for human use – either for divers protection, the reduction of the chapel shark or prevent sharks from the focus very close to the beaches. At present, it seems that the old rule is still valid: Don’t miss something that can weigh you. Even if you are a shark.