Overview of Stingrays

The stingrays are a family of rays, which are cartilaginous fish (fish with cartilage) related to sharks. They are common in coastal tropical and subtropical marine waters throughout the world, with some even entirely restricted to fresh water. However, nearly all sting rays live on the sandy floors of the bottom of the ocean.

Their primary means of defence is a poisonous barbed spine located on their tail. They are named after this barbed stinger, which may reach a length of about a foot. Some species have several stingers, and some lack stingers entirely.They have whip-like tails they use to lash out at prey and predators.

Stingrays have flattened teeth, they use to crush the shells of crabs and mollusks. The hammerhead shark frequently preys on stingrays, using its unusually-shaped head to pin it down.

The flattened bodies of stingrays allow them to effectively conceal themselves in their environment, underneath the sand. Due to the placement of their eyes on the top of their head, and mouth on the bottom, stingrays cannot see their prey. Instead, they use smell and ampullae of Lorenzini (to sense electrical fields), like sharks. They feed primarily on mollusks, crustaceans and small fish.

About the Author
Jacob Maddox manages content for Wildlife Animals http://www.wildlife-animals.com an educational wildlife and animal website. Jacob also guest writes for Dog Pound http://www.dog-pound.net