Stingrays

By Amy

“I’m dying!” gasped Steve Irwin as he struggled in the water. Do you know the crocodile hunter that died of a hundred stabs from the stingray’s barb? Stingrays don’t usually attack humans directly but some people handling stingrays are stabbed by the stingray’s barb as the ray tries to protect itself.  

Have you ever wondered how stingrays respire? Stingrays are similar to fish so they breathe through their gills but next to the stingray’s eyes, another respiratory system they breathe through is the spiracles. The spiracles allow the stingrays to bury themselves in the sand to prevent them from predators.

In a beautiful wavy motion, the stingrays move their whole body to swim and glide through the water. They also flap their fins or flippers to help move faster. Flexibility also helps them to move along the water by using the pectoral fins. Pectoral fins are powerful, wing-like fins that help glide swiftly through the water. The Pectoral fins move by flapping and rippling. Many rays like the mangrove rays sink onto the seafloor when they stop swimming.

In order for the stingrays to have young, there must be female and male stingray. The male will follow the female closely and bite at her pectoral disk. Stingrays are ovoviviparous meaning they give birth to 5-13 pups at a time. Have ever thought if stingrays are mammals? Stingrays are marine mammals because they give birth to live young not eggs.

Stingrays sense everything happening around them. Stingrays are like gliding metal detectors. They are thought to be extra sensitive to electric fields that can be used to navigate over long distances. But what makes rays extra sensitive to electric fields? It is because they can detect the earth’s strong magnetic field.

Stingrays usually hunt for worms, carrion, squid and crustaceans. Did you realise that the stingray's mouth is on the other side of the body. Having the mouth on the other side helps the stingray to dig out crabs and shrimps from the sea floor. The mouth included several rows of blunt, broad teeth. Unbelievable!

Are stingrays harmless to humans? Well, it depends. If you are frightening them, they might react and stab you with its barb. You wouldn't want that right so be gentle to stingrays!