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Cownose ray facts for kids

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For other species of cownose rays, see Rhinoptera.
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Cownose ray
Rhinoptera bonasus Brest.jpg
Conservation status
Scientific classification

The cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) is a type of eagle ray. You can find it in a large part of the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. It lives from New England in the United States all the way to southern Brazil. Some cownose rays in the East Atlantic are now seen as a different species, called R. marginata.

Male cownose rays are often about 2.5 feet (76 cm) wide. Females are usually about 3 feet (91 cm) wide. But some rays have been seen up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) wide! Their size can change depending on where they live. Females usually grow bigger than males. This helps them have larger babies. Cownose rays belong to a group called Myliobatiformes. This group also includes bat rays, manta rays, and other eagle rays.

In 2019, the cownose ray was listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List. This means its population is decreasing and it might be at risk of disappearing.

What's in a Name?

The name Rhinoptera comes from ancient Greek words. Rhinos means "nose" and pteron means "wing." So, it's like "nose-wing." The species name bonasus comes from the ancient Greek word for "bison."

Appearance and Features

When a cownose ray is born, it is about 11 to 18 inches (28 to 46 cm) wide. A grown-up ray can reach about 45 inches (1.1 meters) wide. It can also weigh 50 pounds (23 kg) or more. Some very large rays have been recorded up to 84 inches (2.1 meters) wide!

People at the beach sometimes mistake cownose rays for sharks. This happens because the tips of their fins stick out of the water. They can look like a shark's dorsal fin.

A cownose ray usually has a brown back and a whitish or yellowish belly. Its shape is easy to spot. It has a wide head with eyes set far apart. It also has two special parts on its front fin that look like a cow's nose. Inside its mouth, it has strong dental plates. These are like flat teeth designed to crush clams and oyster shells.

If a cownose ray feels threatened, it can use a barb at the base of its tail. This barb helps it defend itself. The barb has small teeth along its sides. It is also covered with a mild venom. If you get stung, it feels similar to a bee sting.

How Cownose Rays Live

What They Eat

Cownose rays love to eat clams, oysters, and other small sea creatures. They have two special fins on their front side. They use these fins to create suction. This suction helps them pull food into their mouths. Then, they crush the food with their strong dental plates.

Cownose rays often swim in groups. When they do, they flap their "wings" together. This stirs up the sand and mud on the seafloor. This helps them find clams and oysters that are buried.

They prefer to feed in the early morning or late afternoon. At these times, the waves are calm and they can see better. Their strong jaws and hard teeth help them eat tough shells. The way cownose rays eat can be a problem. They are known for destroying oyster beds. These oyster beds are already at risk from human pollution.

Who Eats Them?

Cownose rays are quite high up in the food chain. This means they don't have many natural enemies. Their main predators include cobia fish, bull sharks, great hammerhead sharks, and sandbar sharks. Humans also fish for them.

Babies and Lifespan

Both male and female cownose rays can start having babies when they are about 4 to 5 years old. In the Gulf of Mexico, females can live up to 18 years. Males usually live up to 16 years.

Cownose rays breed from June through October. Large groups of rays gather in shallow waters. A female ray will swim with the edges of her fins sticking out of the water. Male rays will follow her, trying to grab her fins to mate.

The baby ray grows inside its mother. Its "wings" are folded over its body. At first, it gets food from an egg yolk. Later, the mother's body provides food for it. The time it takes for a baby ray to grow is thought to be between 11 and 12 months. When they are ready, the babies are born live, usually tail first.

Traveling Far

Cownose Rays
Cownose rays swimming in shallow waters in the Gulf of Mexico

Cownose rays often migrate from the Gulf of Mexico to places like Trinidad, Venezuela, and Brazil. In the Atlantic, they move north in late Spring. Then they travel south in late Fall.

Their migration might be affected by water temperature and the sun's position. This helps explain their seasonal travel. Moving south might be guided by the sun. Moving north might be guided by changes in water temperature.

Scientists are not sure if they migrate to find food or to mate.

Cownose rays are also found in areas like Maryland and Virginia. You can often see them migrating and swimming in schools. They sometimes swim near the surface, even though they mostly feed on the bottom. These schools can be seen from airplanes. This helps track their movements. However, the exact reason for their long migrations is still a mystery.

Rhinoptera bonasus, cownose stingray teeth & mouthparts
Cownose stingray teeth and mouthparts. Their teeth are like interlocking bars that crush food.

Where They Live

Cownose rays live naturally in the Eastern and Western Atlantic Ocean. In the Eastern Atlantic, you can find them near Mauritania, Senegal, and Guinea. In the Western Atlantic, they live from Southern New England to Northern Florida in the United States. They are also found throughout the Gulf of Mexico, Trinidad, Venezuela, and Brazil.

They live in brackish (a mix of fresh and salt water) and marine (saltwater) habitats. They can be found at depths up to 72 feet (22 meters). They are social animals and travel very long distances. They often swim together in large schools.

Protecting Cownose Rays

The cownose ray is currently listed as "vulnerable" by the IUCN Red List. This is because too many are being caught by fishing in the Caribbean. They are less threatened in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast of North America. However, their overall population has dropped by 30-49% in just 43 years. Because of this, cownose ray killing contests have been banned in Maryland.

Rays and Humans

Are They Dangerous?

Stingrays, including the cownose ray, can be a low to medium risk to humans. If a ray feels threatened, it will whip its tail. This can cause a painful lash. It can also use its barb to sting. A sting from a cownose ray can be very painful and might need medical help. While a sting is usually not deadly, it can be if it hits the stomach area.

There is also a risk if you eat ray meat that is not cooked properly. You could get a sickness called shigellosis from bacteria called Shigella. This can cause diarrhea, pain, fever, and dehydration.

Fishing for Rays

One idea to help with the cownose rays destroying oyster beds, or if there are too many in some areas, is to allow more commercial fishing for them. However, catching them is hard and expensive. Also, not many people want to eat ray meat. So, this idea might not be profitable for fishermen. Still, people who fish for fun often catch them. In the Caribbean and near Venezuela, too many rays are being caught. This has led to a population drop of up to 49% in the last 43 years.

Rays in Aquariums

Cownose rays can be seen in many public aquaria around the world. They are often in special "touch tanks." In these tanks, visitors can reach into a wide, shallow pool to touch the fish. The rays in touch tanks often have had their barbs gently trimmed or removed. This makes them safe to touch. Their barbs grow back, just like human nails.

Here are some aquariums and zoos with cownose ray touch tanks:

In the USA

In Canada

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Raya gavilán para niños

Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2005). "Rhinoptera bonasus" in FishBase. August 2005 version.

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