Electric rays can generate powerful electric shocks of up to 220 volts. Their welfare in captivity and as bycatch involves unique considerations related to their electrogenic physiology.
Electric rays kept in captivity require sandy substrate for burrowing — their primary resting and hunting behaviour. Without appropriate substrate, they cannot express natural behaviour and become chronically stressed. Their electric discharge is a stress response as well as a hunting mechanism, meaning stressed captive electric rays discharge frequently, which may deplete energy reserves. Bycatch electric rays on fishing vessels present a safety hazard, motivating rapid and potentially rough handling. As benthic species, they suffer acute barotrauma from trawl capture and slow retrieval from depth.