Narrative

Numbfish or Australian numbfish (Hypnos monoptrygiium) is found along the shores of eastern Australia. This species can reach about 24 inches in length. The paler color and somewhat pointed nose will help identify this species.

This lifeform is marine and found only in salt water.

This lifeform is found in the Pacific Ocean near Australia.

Torpedo Rays or Electric Rays (Family Torpedinidae) are found worldwide in both shallow and deep waters. These rays have electricity producing organs on the underside of their heads. There are about thirty species in this family. Some of the deep water kinds are blind. Generally, these fish are weak swimmers and spend most of their time on the bottom of the ocean.

Torpediniformes order contains the electric rays and the river stingrays.

Sharks and rays (Elasmobranchi), cartilaginous fishes, deserve to be a class separate from the normal fish, in that they do not have a bone skeleton but rather a cartilage skeleton.

Fertilization is internal in this class which also separates them from the bony fish class. Although there are a few fresh water species, the majority of the species in this class are found in salt water. As of 2005, there were about 500 known species of sharks and about 600 known species of rays.

David Ebert, author of a recent book on sharks, rays, and chimaeras of California, counts a total of 988 described species in the class with about 150 additional species awaiting scientific description. He breaks down the described species to 410 species of sharks, 543 species of rays, and 35 species of chimaeras.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.