First Observation Of Movement Rates And Repeated Migration In A Western Atlantic Torpedo (Tetronarce Occidentalis) In The Northwest Atlantic Ocean

Tetronarce occidentalis (Western Atlantic Torpedo) is a demersal to semi-pelagic batoid, distributed broadly from Nova Scotia to Venezuela, for which data is limited throughout its range. A single individual was captured in the New York Bight and opportunistically tracked through nearshore waters for 2 years using passive acoustic telemetry. The individual showed rapid extensive movements (>250 km) and exhibited continuous use of coastal New York and New Jersey waters during late spring in 2012 and 2013. Observed movements were consistent with captures from fisheries-independent trawl surveys. These observations illustrate that the waters of the Mid-Atlantic Bight may offer important seasonal habitat for Atlantic torpedo rays, providing a preliminary assessment of local movement dynamics.