The much larger and more intelligent manta ray does not have a barb that could impale or injure you, so there is no need to worry about this whilst swimming with a manta. Manta rays do not have the deadly barb that is found on their sting-ray cousins. Electric rays are found at many depths, from shallow waters to as far as 3,000 feet below the surface.5 Final Thoughts Do Manta Rays Actually Have Barbs? Unlike other rays, electric rays use their tails to swim, not their pectoral fins. They have rounded dorsal fins and thick tails. Electric rays have such an acute electric sense that they are thought to be the most electrically sensitive of all animals.Įlectric rays are usually 1 to 6 feet in diameter and have a more rounded shape than other rays. These organs can generate between 50 and 200 volts and 30 amperes of electricity, enough to shock or injure a human, and definitely enough to take out small prey. While all rays have a highly developed electric sense, electric rays have special electric organs on either side of their heads. Instead, they stun their prey with electric shocks. Electric rays are smaller than many other types of rays and do not have barbs or stings. Stingrays sting, skates defend themselves with barbs, and manta rays are too large to have many natural predators. Commonly recognized species of stingrays include the southern stingray, the spotted eagle ray, and the blue spotted ray.Įlectric rays have a different form of defense from other rays. These rays can be found in all parts of the world, even in fresh water. Stingrays are ovoviviparous, meaning that their eggs develop and hatch inside the mother, who then gives birth to live young. Many rays spend the majority of their time on the sea floor however, some stingrays, such as spotted eagle rays, are more commonly observed free-swimming. You can also identify stingrays by their characteristic diamond shape and by their location-they are frequently found half-buried in the sand rooting for food. A diver is unlikely to be stung by a stingray unless the stingray feels threatened. Thankfully, stingrays only sting out of self-defense. Most stingrays' tails have venom glands, which inject an incredibly painful toxin when the sting is used. They are easily identified by their elongated, thin tails with barbed stings. Stingrays are probably the most recognized type of ray. At best, you will frighten it away, but you could receive a nasty sting or painful electric shock, or worse. Rays are not aggressive toward divers, but you should never touch a ray. While all rays have flattened bodies, they vary by body shape (round, diamond, or triangular), their method of swimming, the thickness of their tails, and the presence of stings or barbs. You can identify rays by their shape and behavior. Rays are either bottom feeders or filter feeders, rooting for crustaceans and mollusks buried in the sand or using a sieve-like filter to strain plankton from the water. Most rays swim using their pectoral fins, either by moving them in an elegant, wave-like motion or by flapping them like a bird. All rays have a flattened shape, with large, rounded pectoral fins fused to their bodies and heads. Rays are fish, and they are similar to sharks in that their bodies are supported with cartilage instead of bone. A wide variety of rays inhabit the oceans and even some bodies of fresh water.
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