page_title: Skate (fish)
section_title: Electric organ
hierarchical_section_title: Skate (fish) / Description / Skate specific characteristics / Electric organ
caption_attribution_description: English: photoshopped picture of the skate with a cross section of the longitudinal EO in the tail
context_page_description: Skates are cartilaginous fish belonging to the family Rajidae in the superorder Batoidea of rays. More than 150 species have been described, in 17 genera. Softnose skates and pygmy skates were previously treated as subfamilies of Rajidae, but are now considered as distinct families. Alternatively, the name "skate" is used to refer to the entire order of Rajiformes.
  Members of Rajidae are distinguished by their stiff snout and a rostrum that is not reduced.
context_section_description: The electric organ (EO) is a characteristic exclusive to aquatic species. Among the Chondrichthyes, the only species to possess electric organs are the electric ray and the skate. Unlike many other electrogenic fishes, the skate is unique in that it has two paired electric organs, which run longitudinal through the tail in the lateral musculature of the notochord. The impulses put out by the electric organs of the skate are considered to be weak, asynchronous, long-lasting signals. Although the anatomy of the skate EO is now commonly studied and well understood, there is not enough strong evidence to suggest what the actual function of the EO is. Some research suggests the electric impulses are too weak to be a mechanism used for defense or hunting. It is also too irregular to be useful for electrolocation purposes. The most reasonable explanation in the literature suggests that the electric organ discharges may be used as a form of communication used for reproduction purposes.
caption: The fibers of the skate electric organ are embedded in the muscles located lateral to the notochord in the tail.
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