Longnose eagle ray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Longnose eagle ray |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Order: | Myliobatiformes |
| Family: | Myliobatidae |
| Genus: | Myliobatis |
| Species: |
M. longirostris
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| Binomial name | |
| Myliobatis longirostris Applegate & Fitch, 1964
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The longnose eagle ray (also called the snouted eagle ray) is a type of fish that belongs to the Myliobatidae family. These amazing rays live in the eastern Pacific Ocean. You can find them from places like Baja California and the Gulf of California all the way down to Sechura, Peru.
They usually swim in shallow waters, but they can dive deeper, up to about 64 m (210 ft) below the surface. Scientists Shelton Pleasants Applegate and John Edgar Fitch first described this species in 1964. Applegate was an expert on sharks, both ancient and modern.
Where the Longnose Eagle Ray Lives
The longnose eagle ray calls the warm waters of the east central Pacific Ocean its home. Its range stretches from Mexico down to Peru.
These rays prefer to live on the continental shelf. This is the part of the ocean floor that slopes gently from the land before dropping off into deeper water. They can be found from the surface down to depths of about 64 m (210 ft).
About the Longnose Eagle Ray's Life
Not a lot is known about the daily life and habits of the longnose eagle ray. Scientists are still learning about how they behave and interact with their environment.
These rays grow to different sizes depending on if they are male or female. Females become ready to have babies when their body (called a disc) is about 74 cm (29 in) wide. Males are ready when their disc is about 54 cm (21 in) wide. The biggest longnose eagle rays can have a disc that is about 95 cm (37 in) across!
Like other eagle rays, they are ovoviviparous. This means the young develop inside the mother's body, similar to how mammals do. The baby rays get their food from a yolk sac or special fluids from the mother's body.
Is the Longnose Eagle Ray in Danger?
Because longnose eagle rays live in shallow waters and often swim in groups, they can easily get caught by fishing boats. They are not usually the main fish that fishers are trying to catch. However, they are often caught by accident. This is called bycatch.
They can get caught in fishing nets used for trawling (dragging nets along the seafloor), gillnets, and longline fishing. The areas where these rays live have a lot of fishing activity. Off the coast of Mexico, they are often caught when people are fishing for shrimps.
Most of the rays caught this way are thrown back into the ocean. But some are sold in local markets as fresh meat, or they are dried and salted. Because they are often caught by accident and don't have many babies at once, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed them as "vulnerable." This means they are at risk of becoming endangered if their situation doesn't improve.
 | Calvin Brent |
 | Walter T. Bailey |
 | Martha Cassell Thompson |
 | Alberta Jeannette Cassell |
