Torpedo (genus)

Torpedo is a genus of rays, commonly known as electric rays, torpedo rays, or torpedoes. They are slow-moving bottom-dwellers capable of generating electricity as a defense and feeding mechanism.

The naval weapon known as the torpedo was named after this genus, whose own name is derived from the Latin word torpidus meaning 'numb' or 'paralysed', presumably the sensation one would feel after experiencing the ray's electric shock.