Species Type:
Sharks & Rays
Common Name(s):
Roughtail stingray
Size:
On average, these rays grow to be 50 inches (125 centimeters) wide.
Diet:
These rays eat shrimp, crab, fish, worms, octopus, cuttlefish and bivalves like mussels.
Range & Habitat:
Roughtail stingrays live in soft bottom habitats like seagrass meadows, muddy and sandy flats. Sometimes, they'll hide out in estuaries near mangroves. They can be located in the western Atlantic ocean, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
Details:
Roughtail stingrays have a diamond shape, roughly as wide as long, with brown coloring and a row of small, bumpy thorns down their back and tail to deter predators. They give birth to live young after their eggs hatch inside their bodies, a process called ovoviviparity. Despite their size, they are not aggressive and only use their barb in self-defense.