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The lesser electric ray, Narcine brasiliensis, is often used in neurochemical studies of cholinergic neurons. Data on habitat preferences, seasonal movements, growth rates and reproductive seasonality are presented. Narcine brasiliensis is highly localized within an area, concentrating in surf zones adjacent to barrier beaches and on offshore sand bars in warm months and moving offshore in winter. Females larger than 29 em total length are reproductively active and give birth to less than 20 young in August and September. Young are estimated to attain a size of 20 · 29 em TL at the end of their first year. This species is potentially vulnerable to overharvest as a result of its low rate of reproduction and localized distribution. Over the past decade there has been a growing use of electric rays of the family Torpedinidae, order Rajiformes, in neurophysiological and biochemical research. From 1980 to 1984, over 900 papers dealing with the biochemistry and neurophysiology of Torpedo california and Torpedo nobiliana were cited in Biological Abstracts. Torpedo are large (approximately 2m total length), deep water, cold temperature rays that are difficult to keep in the laboratory. The lesser electric ray, Narcine brasiliensis, which is roughly one third the size of Torpedo, is perhaps more suitable as a laboratory animal. Occurring in shallow warm water from Argentina to North Carolina, it is locally common in the Gulf of Mexico and off the southeastern coast of the United States, making it potentially available for a routine and dependable supply to researchers. Unlike Torpedo a refrigerated sea water system is not necessary. It provides a neurophysiological preparation comparable to Torpedo in that both genera have electric organs densely innervated with exclusively cholinergic neurons and has 103 been the model used in 45 neurochemical studies reported in Biological Abstracts since 1968. In view of the importance of Narcine in the neurophysiological laboratory, the dearth of information on its life history and ecology is remarkable. Bigelow and Schroeder (1953) reported that polychaete annelids are its primary diet. It occurs inshore during the summer months in Mississippi Sound in the vicinity of passes between barrier islands (Funicelli, 1975; Migdalski & Fichter, 1976). The taxonomy of the family has most recently been reviewed by Fechhelm and McEachran (1984). Studies of behavior and electric organ discharge using various species of the genus Torpedo are reported by Bray and Hixon (1978), Belbenoit (1986, 1977), Michaelson eta/. (1979) and Mellinger et at. (1978). However, these larger, cold water species of electric ray are piscivorous. A recent review of the evolution and function of electric organs in fishes is provided by Bass (1986). This two year investigation of population characteristics and movement 1 Rudlow: Habitat Preferences, Movement, Size Frequency Patterns and Reprod Published by The Aquila Digital Community, 1988

Habitat Preferences, Movement, Size Frequency Patterns and Reproductive Seasonality of the Lesser Electric Ray, Narcine brasiliensis