Torpedo

Torpedo was originally the Latin name for a fish - the electric ray. There are several species of rays that go under this name: they can be found in temperate seas all over the world. They are all rays (cartilaginous fish, related to sharks). They live in shallow water, living in and feeding on the species in coastal sediments, and are liable to be stood upon by land dwellers, or disturbed by sea dwellers. Consequently, they have evolved the power of producing electric shocks, as a defensive weapon. They are related to the so-called electric eel (Electrophorus electricus), a freshwater fish from South America which can also produce an electric shock - but has evolved it as a hunting weapon as well as for defensive purposes. It too has been called 'the torpedo' since its discovery by Europeans, who related it to their experience of the ray found in the Mediterranean.

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(torpedo torpedo)