List of threatened rays facts for kids

Manta rays are the biggest rays in the world. Sadly, too much fishing has made them vulnerable or even endangered. In 2013, they got special international protection.

Imagine a world where some of the ocean's most amazing creatures are slowly disappearing. That's what's happening to many rays. These flat, disc-shaped fish, related to sharks, are facing serious threats that could lead to their extinction. When we say a species is "threatened," it means it's at risk of vanishing forever in the near future.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) helps us understand how much danger different species are in. They have a special list called the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. On this list, they put threatened species into three main groups:

• Vulnerable species: These species are at risk, but not in immediate danger of extinction.
• Endangered species: These species face a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
• Critically endangered species: These species are in extreme danger and could disappear very soon.

All these groups are considered "threatened." So, if a ray is "vulnerable," it's also "threatened." If it's "endangered," it's both "vulnerable" and "threatened," and so on.

Rays and Sharks: Ocean Relatives

Rays and sharks are like cousins in the ocean. They both belong to a group called cartilaginous fishes. This means their skeletons are made of cartilage, which is a flexible material like what's in your nose or ears, instead of hard bone. Because they are so closely related, scientists often study them together.

In 2010, a big study looked at over 1,000 types of cartilaginous fish (sharks and rays). It found that about one-third of them were threatened with extinction. That's a huge number!

Why Rays Are in Danger

There are four main types, or orders, of rays:

• Stingrays
• Skates
• Electric rays
• Sawfishes

Like sharks, rays live for a long time and usually have stable populations. However, they grow slowly, become adults late, and don't have many babies. This means if their numbers drop, it takes them a very long time to recover.

The biggest reasons rays are becoming threatened are:

• Fishing: Both commercial (for selling) and recreational (for fun) fishing catch too many rays.
• Bycatch: Rays often get caught by accident in nets meant for other fish.
• Habitat Loss: Coastal areas where rays live are being damaged or destroyed by human development and marine pollution.

A recent study in the Mediterranean Sea found that only 38 types of skates and rays are left there. This shows how much unregulated fishing has hurt their populations.

Manta Rays: Gentle Giants in Trouble

Manta rays are truly amazing. They are the biggest rays in the world, with "wings" that can spread up to 7 meters (about 23 feet) wide! They also have one of the largest brains for any fish.

Manta rays are gentle giants that filter tiny plankton from the water using their gills. Sadly, they are often caught by accident by fishermen. But even worse, some fisheries specifically hunt manta rays. Why? Because of a growing demand for their dried gill rakers. These are bony structures that protect their gills.

A Misguided Demand

People in some parts of Asia buy dried manta ray gill rakers for traditional Chinese medicine. However, this is a "bogus" market. Historically, these gill rakers were never used in Chinese medicine, and there's no scientific proof that they have any health benefits. The meat of manta rays is also eaten in some countries, but it's not very tasty compared to other fish.

Despite this, thousands of manta rays, especially the giant manta ray, are caught and killed each year just for their gill rakers. This has led to targeted fishing in places like Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and parts of Africa and the Americas.

Protecting Manta Rays

Good news! In 2011, manta rays gained strong protection in international waters. This happened because they were added to the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals. This international agreement helps protect animals that travel across different countries' waters. Even though some countries already protected manta rays, this new rule helps them when they swim through areas where there are no rules.

Then, in 2013, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) listed both types of manta rays. This means that buying and selling manta rays across borders is now watched and controlled to help protect them.

Sawfish: Rays with a Saw-Like Snout

Sawfish are a family of rays with a long, saw-like snout. All species are either endangered or critically endangered.

Sawfish are another unique family of rays. They have a long, flat snout called a rostrum that looks just like a saw! Some sawfish can grow up to 7 meters (about 23 feet) long.

Unfortunately, all types of sawfish are either endangered or critically endangered. This is mainly due to:

• Habitat destruction: Their homes along the coast are being destroyed. Young sawfish stay close to shore, making them especially vulnerable to coastal development.
• Overfishing: Their saw-like rostrum easily gets tangled in fishing nets, so they are often caught by accident as bycatch.
• Exploitation: People also hunt sawfish for their unique rostrums (which are sold as decorations), their fins (eaten as a delicacy in China), and their liver oil (used as a health supplement).

In 2007, a representative from Kenya said that local fishermen could "retire" after catching just one sawfish because its rostrum could sell for up to $1,450! To help protect them, CITES gave the largetooth sawfish its highest protection level in 2013, banning all international trade of this species.

The Big Picture: Overfishing's Impact

A study published in the journal Nature in 2021 showed how serious the problem is. It found that fishing pressure in the oceans has increased 18 times since 1970. This massive increase in fishing has caused the number of oceanic sharks and rays to drop by 71% globally. Now, three-quarters of these species are threatened with extinction.

To stop these amazing creatures from disappearing, we urgently need to set limits on how many fish can be caught. We also need strict rules to protect them and their homes. This will help prevent populations from collapsing and allow our oceans to heal.

List of Threatened Rays

Order	Image	Scientific name	Common name	Population trend	IUCN status	Fish Base	FAO	Comment
Stingray		Aetobatus flagellum	Longheaded eagle ray	decreasing	Endangered
Stingray		Aetomylaeus maculatus	Mottled eagle ray	decreasing	Endangered
Stingray		Aetomylaeus nichofii	Banded eagle ray	decreasing	Vulnerable
Stingray		Aetomylaeus vespertilio	Ornate eagle ray	decreasing	Endangered
Skate		Amblyraja radiata	Thorny skate	decreasing	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Anoxypristis cuspidata	Knifetooth sawfish	decreasing	Endangered
Stingray		Aptychotrema timorensis	Spotted shovelnose ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Skate		Atlantoraja castelnaui	Spotback skate	decreasing	Endangered
Skate		Atlantoraja cyclophora	Eyespot skate	decreasing	Vulnerable
Skate		Atlantoraja platana	La Plata skate	decreasing	Vulnerable
Skate		Bathyraja griseocauda	Graytail skate	decreasing	Endangered
Electric ray		Benthobatis kreffti	Brazilian blind electric ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Stingray		Dasyatis colarensis	Colares stingray	unknown	Vulnerable
Stingray		Dasyatis fluviorum	Estuary stingaree	decreasing	Vulnerable
Stingray		Dasyatis garouaensis	Smooth freshwater stingray	decreasing	Vulnerable			freshwater
Stingray		Dasyatis laosensis	Mekong freshwater stingray	decreasing	Endangered			freshwater
Stingray		Dasyatis margarita	Daisy stingray	decreasing	Endangered
Stingray		Dasyatis ukpam	Daisy stingray	unknown	Endangered			freshwater
Electric ray		Diplobatis colombiensis	Colombian electric ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Electric ray		Diplobatis guamachensis	Brownband numbfish	unknown	Vulnerable
Electric ray		Diplobatis ommata	Ocellated electric ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Electric ray		Diplobatis pictus	Variegated electric ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Skate		Dipturus australis	Sydney skate	unknown	Vulnerable
Skate		Dipturus batis	Blue skate	decreasing	Critically endangered
Skate		Dipturus crosnieri	Madagascar skate	unknown	Vulnerable
Skate		Dipturus laevis	Barndoor skate	stable	Endangered
Skate		Dipturus mennii	South Brazilian skate	unknown	Vulnerable
Skate		Dipturus trachydermus	Roughskin skate	decreasing	Vulnerable
Skate		Glaucostegus granulatus	Sharpnose guitarfish	decreasing	Vulnerable
Skate		Glaucostegus thouin	Clubnose guitarfish	unknown	Vulnerable
Skate		Glaucostegus typus	Common shovelnose ray	decreasing	Vulnerable
Skate		Gurgesiella dorsalifera	Onefin skate	decreasing	Vulnerable
Stingray		Gymnura altavela	Spiny butterfly ray	decreasing	Vulnerable
Stingray		Gymnura zonura	Zonetail butterfly ray	decreasing	Vulnerable
Electric ray		Heteronarce garmani	Natal electric ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Stingray		Himantura gerrardi	Whitespotted whipray	unknown	Vulnerable			freshwater
Stingray		Himantura hortlei	Hortle's whipray	decreasing	Vulnerable			freshwater
Stingray		Himantura kittipongi	Roughback whipray	unknown	Endangered			freshwater
Stingray		Himantura leoparda	Leopard whipray	decreasing	Vulnerable			freshwater
Stingray		Himantura lobistoma	Tubemouth whipray	decreasing	Vulnerable			freshwater
Stingray		Himantura oxyrhyncha	Longnose marbled whipray	unknown	Endangered			freshwater
Stingray		Himantura pastinacoides	Round whipray	decreasing	Vulnerable			freshwater
Stingray		Urogymnus polylepis	Giant freshwater stingray	decreasing	Endangered			freshwater
Stingray		Himantura signifer	White-edge freshwater whipray	unknown	Endangered			freshwater
Stingray		Himantura uarnacoides	Bleeker's whipray	decreasing	Vulnerable			freshwater
Stingray		Himantura uarnak	Reticulate whipray	decreasing	Vulnerable
Stingray		Himantura undulata	Bleeker's variegated whipray	decreasing	Vulnerable
Skate		Leucoraja circularis	Sandy ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Skate		Leucoraja melitensis	Maltese skate	decreasing	Critically endangered
Skate		Leucoraja ocellata	Winter skate	decreasing	Endangered
Stingray		Myliobatis hamlyni	Purple eagle ray	decreasing	Endangered
Skate		Malacoraja senta	Smooth skate	decreasing	Endangered
Stingray		Manta alfredi	Reef manta ray	decreasing	Vulnerable
Stingray		Manta birostris	Giant manta ray	decreasing	Endangered
Stingray		Mobula mobular	Giant devil ray	decreasing	Endangered
Stingray		Mobula rochebrunei	Lesser Guinean devil ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Electric ray		Narcine brevilabiata	Shortlip electric ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Electric ray		Narke japonica	Japanese sleeper ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Skate		Okamejei pita	Pita skate	unknown	Critically endangered
Stingray		Pastinachus solocirostris	Roughnose stingray	unknown	Endangered
Stingray		Platyrhina sinensis	Fanray	unknown	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Pristis clavata	Queensland sawfish	decreasing	Critically endangered
Sawfish		Pristis pectinata	Smalltooth sawfish	decreasing	Critically endangered
Sawfish		Pristis pristis	Common sawfish	decreasing	Critically endangered
Sawfish		Pristis zijsron	Narrowsnout sawfish	decreasing	Critically endangered
Skate		Raja pulchra	Mottled skate	decreasing	Vulnerable
Skate		Raja undulata	Undulate ray	decreasing	Endangered
Sawfish		Rhina ancylostoma	Bowmouth guitarfish	decreasing	Critically endangered
Sawfish		Rhinobatos albomaculatus	White-spotted guitarfish	decreasing	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Rhinobatos cemiculus	Blackchin guitarfish	decreasing	Endangered
Sawfish		Rhinobatos formosensis	Taiwan guitarfish	unknown	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Rhinobatos horkelii	Brazilian guitarfish	decreasing	Critically endangered
Sawfish		Rhinobatos irvinei	Spineback guitarfish	decreasing	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Rhinobatos jimbaranensis	Jimbaran shovelnose ray	decreasing	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Rhinobatos obtusus	Widenose guitarfish	decreasing	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Rhinobatos penggali	Indonesian shovelnose ray	decreasing	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Rhinobatos rhinobatos	Common guitarfish	decreasing	Endangered
Stingray		Rhinoptera brasiliensis	Brazilian cownose ray	decreasing	Endangered
Stingray		Rhinoptera javanica	Javanese cownose ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Skate		Rhinoraja albomaculata	White-dotted skate	unknown	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Rhynchobatus australiae	White-spotted guitarfish	decreasing	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Rhynchobatus djiddensis	Giant guitarfish	decreasing	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Rhynchobatus laevis	Smoothnose wedgefish	unknown	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Rhynchobatus luebberti	Lubbert's guitarfish	decreasing	Endangered
Sawfish		Rhynchobatus sp. nov. A	Roughnose wedgefish	decreasing	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Rhynchobatus springeri	Broadnose wedgefish	decreasing	Vulnerable
Skate		Rioraja agassizii	Rio skate	unknown	Vulnerable
Skate		Rostroraja alba	Bottlenose skate	decreasing	Endangered
Skate		Spiniraja whitleyi	Melbourne skate	unknown	Vulnerable
Skate		Sympterygia acuta	Bignose fanskate	decreasing	Vulnerable
Stingray		Taeniura meyeni	Round ribbontail ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Electric ray		Temera hardwickii	Finless sleeper ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Trygonorrhina melaleuca	Magpie fiddler ray	unknown	Endangered
Stingray		Urogymnus asperrimus	Porcupine ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Stingray		Urogymnus ukpam	Pincushion ray	unknown	Endangered
Stingray		Urolophus bucculentus	Sandyback stingaree	decreasing	Vulnerable
Stingray		Urolophus orarius	Coastal stingaree	unknown	Endangered
Stingray		Urolophus sufflavus	Yellowback stingaree	decreasing	Vulnerable
Stingray		Urolophus viridis	Greenback stingaree	decreasing	Vulnerable
Stingray		Urotrygon reticulata	Reticulate round stingray	unknown	Vulnerable
Stingray		Urotrygon simulatrix	Fake round ray	unknown	Vulnerable
Sawfish		Zapteryx brevirostris	Shortnose guitarfish	decreasing	Vulnerable
Skate		Zearaja chilensis	Yellownose skate	decreasing	Vulnerable
Skate		Zearaja maugeana	Maugean skate	unknown	Endangered

See also

• List of threatened sharks