Torpedo Ted
Torpedo Teds are, as their name implies, torpedoes that move underwater. They are much larger than the more commonly found Bullet Bills and were first found in Soda Lake in Super Mario World. The torpedoes are dropped by Skull Boxes. Torpedo Teds move fairly fast and can be hard to avoid due to the small space within Soda Lake; they are also indestructible.
Torpedo Teds are also found in underwater areas of Super Princess Peach. Many are under the influence of the Vibe Scepter, turning them into Glad Torpedo Teds.
Some have theorized that underwater Bullet Bill may qualify as a Torpedo Ted appearance, and, while such an rare occurrence did indeed happen in the second stage of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins' Turtle Zone, the "Torpedo Ted" that resulted had no special characteristics and could be destroyed. In addition, the generic Bullet Bills were fired off underwater in Super Mario World itself in the stage Sunken Ghost Ship.
Torpedo Teds have most recently appeared in Super Mario Galaxy. The Torpedo Teds in Super Mario Galaxy act like the Bullet Bills of the game, homing in on the player.
Appearances in Other Media
A Torpedo Ted, though not named as such, appeared in the final episode of the Super Mario World cartoon. In the episode, entitled "Mama Luigi", Luigi and Yoshi, after narrowly escaping a pursuing Rip Van Fish, are attacked by a manic-looking Torpedo Ted. Chasing Luigi and Yoshi to the surface, this Torpedo Ted misses both as they are saved by two Dolphins. The Torpedo Ted was launched from offscreen, therefore, it's launcher was never shown.
