Stingrays
Main Information
Sting Rays are found in shallow coastal waters. They are related to the shark family. In the majority of the ray's life, the spend their time buried in the sand, often moving with the tide. Rays camouflage from their predators, sharks and larger rays, but they do not attack humans. Handling a ray is real danger.
Appearance
Stingrays have flat bodies with pectoral fins attached to the head and a trunk with a long tail. They also have spiracles that help them breathe underwater. Their beady eyes give them no help in hunting for their prey. Around the mouth of a stingray, they have an electrical sensors that sense electrical charges of potential prey.They have strong, flat teeth to help the crush hard food such as clams, oysters, and mussels. Their stinger can grow up to 15 feet long.
Giant Stingray
The ancient Giant stingray is the world's largest freshwater fish. It is about 16.5 feet long and can be up to 1,320 pounds. Its color is usually somewhere around brown to gray. It has a wide and flat form and a whiplike tail. The population of Giant Stingrays dropped dramatically over the last few years. It appears no longer inhabit in some parts of their historic range.