Bat ray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bat ray |
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The bat ray (Myliobatis californica) is a type of eagle ray. You can find it in sandy or muddy areas, like estuaries and bays. It also lives near kelp beds and rocky shores. These rays live in the eastern Pacific Ocean, from the coast of Oregon down to the Gulf of California. They are also found around the Galápagos Islands.
The biggest bat rays can have a wingspan of about 1.8 meters (6 feet). They can weigh up to 91 kilograms (200 pounds). But most bat rays are smaller, weighing between 9 and 14 kilograms (20-30 pounds). Their size can change based on where they live and ocean conditions. Bat rays have one to three venomous spines at the base of their tail. Female bat rays often grow larger than males. These rays can live in water with different salt levels. California sea lions, Great white sharks, and broadnose sevengill sharks hunt bat rays.
What Bat Rays Eat
Bat rays mostly eat mollusks, crustaceans, and small fish. They find their food on the ocean floor. They use their wing-like pectoral fins to move sand. This helps them find hidden prey animals. They can even dig trenches up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) deep. This helps them find buried food like clams.
Bat rays have flat, pavement-like teeth. These teeth are in tight rows. They use them to crush and grind their food. After crushing shells, they spit them out and eat the soft parts. Like all elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), their teeth fall out and new ones grow continuously.
Bat Rays and People
Bat rays have a venomous spine in their tail. It is near the base of the tail. But they are not considered dangerous to humans. They only use their spine if they feel attacked or scared.
Today, people fish for bat rays in Mexico. They are not fished commercially in the United States. Long ago, native tribes in California, especially near San Francisco Bay, caught many bat rays. They likely used them for food.
Some people who grow oysters thought bat rays ate their oysters. So, they would trap many rays. But it turns out that crabs are mostly responsible for eating oysters. Bat rays are not considered an endangered animal.
Bat rays are popular at marine parks. Visitors can often touch or stroke the ray's "wings."
How Bat Rays Grow
Bat rays reproduce in a special way called ovoviviparous. This means their eggs hatch inside the mother's body. They mate once a year, usually in spring or summer. Their pregnancy lasts about nine to twelve months. A mother bat ray can have between two and ten babies at a time.
Baby bat rays are born with their pectoral fins wrapped around their bodies. Their venomous spine is soft and covered by a protective layer. This layer falls off within a few hours after birth. Bat rays can live for up to 23 years.
When bat rays mate, they swim together. The male swims under the female. He uses a special part called a clasper to fertilize her eggs.
Gallery
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Bat ray adopting a feeding posture.
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Bat ray in kelp forest, San Clemente Island.
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Bat ray off Pt. Lobos.
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Bat ray at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
See also
In Spanish: Myliobatis californica para niños
