Stingray

Stingrays are very easily recognizable and have pancake-like bodies.

Stingrays are fish that are known to be able to glide gracefully through the water. There are about 200 different species of stingrays in the oceans around the world. They are also found in lakes and freshwater rivers. Categorized as a group of sea rays, they are related to sharks.

They consist of eight families of fish Plesiobatidae, Urotrygonidae, Hexatrygonidae, Urolophidae, Potamotrygonidae, Dasyatidae, Myliobatidae, and Gymnuridae. However, stingrays all around the world face threat to survival. Rather than bones, the body of a stingray is just made of cartilage.

These fish also have camouflaging capabilities that allow them to escape their predators.

They are known to hit predators with their tails upon sensing danger, which is particularly effective as a result of a barb on their tail.

An Incredible Fish: Five Stingray Facts!

• Related to sharks: As part of a group of fish called batoids, stingrays aren’t that different from sharks. Though there are clear differences in size, shape, and anatomy, both animals are made of cartilage (rather than bone). This similarity has given them the nickname “flat sharks.”
• Flat-bodied: Stingrays are fish that have flat bodies that help them camouflage and blend with their surroundings and eventually escape their predators. They also sting their predators with the spines or barbs in their tails.
• Completely boneless: These fish have no bones in their bodies. Instead, they are made of cartilage.
• Hundreds of stingrays: There are about 200 different species of stingrays, including the ocellate river – the thorntail – and the flower stingray.
• All alone: These fish are solitary creatures and come together only for breeding or migration.

List of Different Types of Stingrays

There are 11 main types of stingrays:

• Manta rays
• Giant oceanic manta ray
• Ocellated river stingray
• Eagle rays
• Whiptail stingrays
• Potamotrygonida
• Yellow Stingray
• Round Stingray
• Butterfly ray
• Urotrygonidae
• Round stingrays
• Spiny butterfly ray

Classification and Scientific Name

Stingrays go by the scientific name Myliobatoidei.

They belong to the kingdom Animalia and phylum Chordata and come from the class Chondrichthyes and order Myliobatiformes. The family and genus that the stingrays belong to are Dasyatidae and Dasyatis respectively.

“Myliobatoidei” is a combination of the word “Myliobatis” and the suffix “-idae.” Myliobatis is rooted in Greek, combining the words “of a mill” (mylo) and “ray” (batis). The suffix -idae is used in the scientific name of zoological families.

Evolution and Origins

Studies suggest that freshwater stingrays originate from South America. As their name suggests, they live in fresh water in the Amazon.

This is in contrast to other types of cartilaginous fish. Most cartilaginous fish do live in a saltwater environment. Additionally, freshwater stingrays eat crustaceans and other invertebrates.

Most scientists believe that the origin of the stingray is related to ancient marine incursions that happened during the Oligocene and Micosene period.

Species

Stingrays include ten different families of fish and there are about 220 different species of these fish in oceans, freshwaters, and lakes around the world.

One of the most common freshwater stingrays is the river stingray, and the mother will give birth to live babies, which are called pups.

In the Atlantic Ocean (as well as in the Mediterranean and Black Seas), the common stingray thrives, though only in habitats with depths of no more than 200 feet. They prefer to reside in muddy or sandy regions. In general, none of the species are aggressive without being threatened.

The blue-spotted stingray, however, will attack with their venom, which can be fatal when the victim is stung in the abdomen or heart.

If the sting occurs in other areas of the body, the outcome will not likely be fatal.

Appearance

These fish have flat bodies that are only made of cartilage which means that these fish have no bones in their bodies.

They have broad fins that are the length of their full bodies. Despite being flat, the fins can often give the stingray a round look. Some of these fish look like they “fly” through the water, but the facts indicate that this is just a smooth flapping motion of the fins.

They are also equipped with defensive tails that usually help them to ward off predators when they sense danger.

Since there are so many species, color can vary drastically. Though the majority of these fish have a grey or dark brown back with a pale belly, they can also be spotted with blue dots, yellow dots, brown dots, and other colors.

The giant oceanic manta ray has black and white markings, while the leopard whip ray matches the pattern of the land-bound mammal it is named for.

Distribution, Population, and Habitat

These fish are known to exist in the Black and Mediterranean Seas.

This region is primarily the home of the common stingray, the butterfly ray, the thorntail stingray, and the whiptail stingray. This area allows them to thrive in a calm area, often accompanied by sandy or muddy sea floors, as well as reefs.

Very few of them also exist in the northern Atlantic Ocean, southern Norway, and the Canary Islands, depending on the particular species.

The Bahamas have become so concentrated with these fish that they are a major tourist attraction in Great Stirrup Cay. There is also a stretch from the Western Baltic Sea to Madeira that makes a great home for these fish.

The overall population of the stingray is not known. However, there are enough of them in the world as there are over 200 different species of stingrays.

Diet: Predators and Prey

The main predators of these fish include sharks and seals. Other large fish also feed on them, since the larger predators in the ocean will go after almost anything smaller than them.

However, their flat body and smooth movements allow them to lie against the floor of their natural habitat to hide. Rather than attacking when threatened, most will simply flee as quickly as they can. For the most part, the primary prey that they go after is fish that are smaller in size than them.

They usually eat clams, oysters, shrimp, and other small fish that are found in shallow waters, though they have been known to eat snails and squids.

For the most part, stingrays are not aggressive and are not very high up on the food chain. However, humans will fish for them to capture as a healthy source of protein.

Reproduction and Lifespan

Stingrays reproduce using internal fertilization which means that a male stingray fish impregnates the female. This reproduction is preceded by courting, which the male does by biting at the female’s pectoral disc. Some stingrays have longer mating periods, taking over half a year before the female becomes pregnant.

The unborn babies are nourished and grow inside egg yolk inside the body of the female stingray fish. While the size of a litter of stingrays may vary, the birth typically brings 5-15 live young.

Since stingrays have survival instincts in their genes, the young do not stay with their parents after birth.

Stingrays live for around 15 to 25 years in the wild. In captivity, this lifespan can drop down to as little as five years in freshwater tanks with proper care.

Fishing and Cooking

These fish are caught using lines or spears and are safe to consume. They are eaten by humans across the globe.

The most common dish that is made and savored around the world is dried forms of the stingray’s wings. People have often said that they find the meat rubbery and it tastes a lot like shark meat or scallops.