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Stingray

Wings in the Water: Stingrays are usually large and flat, with pectoral fins that look more like wings than fins and are used for propulsion. Rays like to roam along the seabed and sometimes bury themselves in the loose sediment as protection against predators. Organs located behind the eyes, called spiracles, help them to breathe when hidden under the sand. Unlike the bat ray, which forms schools of several hundred individuals, most rays are solitary.

Bottom Feeder: Rays are carnivores and feed on bottom-dwelling fish. The mouths of most species are located on their underside and have interlocking teeth perfect for grasping and crushing prey. Other species feed more like the toothless whale by filtering fish and plankton through their sievelike gills.

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INTERACTIVE: Anatomy of a Stingray

DID YOU KNOW?

Stingray Anesthesia?: Venom from the stingray's spine was extracted and used as anesthesia by ancient Greek dentists.

Small to Stupendous: Stingrays come in many different sizes, from as small as a human palm to — as in the case of the short-tail stingray — up to six feet across with a length, including tail, of up to 14 feet.