![]() ![]() They need a snout to help them dig through the sand to feed. Eagle Ray FeaturesĮagle rays have very distinct snouts, which come to a point and make their mouths look almost like the beak of a bird. Manta rays also have prominent gills on their underside. These fins are used to guide plankton into their mouths while they feed. The easiest way to recognize a manta ray is by their cephalic fins, horn shaped fins on either side of their mouth. Manta rays are the biggest, and they move by flapping their triangular fins like wings. ![]() The bodies of all kinds of rays are diamond-shaped, and they move using their pectoral (side) fins, but they do have a few differences that may help you decide which is which. Equally important are the massive (2.2 ft wingspan) short-tail stingray and the tiny (10 cm wingspan) snort-nose electric ray. Stingray sizes varies greatly by species, but the average is around 1 m (3 ft). The size of eagle rays is dependent on species, with an average at about 2.8 m (9 ft). Adults can range from reef mantas with a 3.5 m (11 ft) wingspan, to giant oceanic manta rays with a 7 m (23 ft) wingspan! Oceanic manta rays can reach 3,000 kg (6,600 lb), and yet they glide through the water most gracefully. So, can we tell them apart, and how? Size of Manta ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Ray Rays are an important part of the ocean food web, and without them sharks and orcas could go hungry, and little invertebrate populations like crabs and oysters could explode. Some species live on the seafloor and hunt for their meals, but some traverse the open ocean and eat plankton from just below the surface. They have a slender tail, which in some species is paired with a venomous spine. Rays have flat bodies that they move by flapping or rippling their pectoral fins. There are about 600 species of rays, which includes everything from ocean-crossing manta rays to stingrays that prefer to spend their time hiding in the sand. ![]() Cartilage is what makes up our earlobe or the tip of our nose, and it helps these animals be both tough and flexible. In science, fish are separated into those with skeletons of bone, and those with skeletons of cartilage. ![]() Photo / DilettantO Differences between a Manta Ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays Threats to Manta Rays, Eagle Rays and Stingrays.Diets of Manta Rays vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays.Size of Manta ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Ray.Differences between a Manta Ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays.Rays can be easy to confuse, but here are some differences that may help you determine which is which. Read More: Q&A with Marine Science Teacher, Anna Ortega That day began a never-ending journey for me to work on improving my reef creature ID skills. I sheepishly admitted that I had no idea, and after some research I learned that the ray I saw was a spotted eagle ray. When I got out of the water, gushing about my dive, one of the instructors asked me if the ray I saw was a stingray, a manta ray, or an eagle ray. The crystal-clear, warm water of the Caribbean made it easy to enjoy a shipwreck, more fish than I could count, and a majestic ray all in the span of thirty minutes. Growing up and learning how to scuba dive in the Midwest, I will never forget my first ocean dive. Much like siblings, they may be related but are actually pretty different in many ways. Let’s take a look at some rays! Manta Ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays. Photo: Sebastian Pena Lambarri / Unsplash A lucky sight to behold a squadron of manta rays. ![]()
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