Interesting data and facts about stingrays. Message about stingrays Electric stingray interesting facts for children

The sea devil is also called this majestic and absolutely safe animal. The size and amazing appearance have led to the creation of legends and stories about this extraordinary fish.

They are able to make high jumps over water.

sea giant

The large fins of the stingray, similar to wings, reach seven meters. They can completely wrap a whale shark - the most big fish in the world. For the scope and massiveness of the wings-fins of the manta, scientists biologists consider it the largest stingray, a real marine giant.

Habitat

Stingrays live in the warm waters of all oceans except the Arctic. More often they are found in the Indian Ocean, where they form whole flocks. Usually stingrays soar in the water column, absorbing the plankton crop, often resting near the surface, exposing the tips of their pectoral fins.

Stingrays are attracted to air bubbles

brain size

Interestingly, manta rays are the most "brainy" fish in the oceans. The specific gravity of the manta brain (relative to body weight) is the largest of known to science fish. It is possible that manta rays are the smartest fish on Earth.

Manta rays feed on plankton, crustaceans and small fish. In the way for accumulations of plankton, stingrays can travel thousands of kilometers. Stingrays feed on plankton interesting way: they line up in a long "chain" and close it in a circle, then the rays quickly move in a circle, thereby creating a "tornado" under water. This funnel sucks in and holds the plankton captive. A feast begins at the stingrays, they absorb their prey.

giant mouth

The mouth of these stingrays is very wide and is located on cutting edge heads. Like other stingrays, mantas have a peculiar filtering apparatus, consisting of gill plates, on which food is filtered - planktonic crustaceans, small fish.

Electric rays can grow up to 2 meters in length and weigh about 90 kilograms. However most of of them grow up to 1-1.5 meters in length and weigh 13-18 kilograms. There is an individual only a few centimeters long. Others are meter, and in some cases more (up to 7 meters) size.

These animals are mainly demersal species, but can also swim and hunt in the water column and can be found down to a depth of one kilometer. They drive night image life, during the day they partially burrow into the sand, and at night they come out to feed. For the most part, they are solitary creatures that come together only for the sake of reproduction. Little is known about the reproductive pattern of the electric ray. It is generally accepted that they make long migrations over distances of up to several tens of thousands of kilometers.

Worldwide distribution

Although there are about twenty species of stingrays capable of generating electricity, the black electric stingray (lat. Torpedo nobiliana) is the largest and most powerful. It is widely distributed and has been seen in warm and temperate waters off the coasts of North and South America, Africa and throughout the Mediterranean.

The habitats of stingrays are quite different. Electric stingray lives on reefs, clay bays, in areas of sandy beaches. Sometimes a stingray can also live in the depths of the seas and oceans, maximum depth The ramp dive is about 1000 meters. To find this fish is possible only in the waters of the temperate and tropical climatic zones.

Baby stingrays carry an electrical charge from birth. An adult female electric stingray can give birth to 8-14 babies. The body length of a newborn stingray is negligible and is approximately 2 centimeters.

Sea fish stingray in addition to his electrical ability, he has another undeniable talent. These fish are excellent swimmers, which is due to the shape of the body adapted for this. Rounded fins allow stingrays to soar in aquatic environment, while not spending much effort to overcome long distances. This helps the stingrays in the process of finding food for themselves and their newborn babies.

Stingray coloring

The color of the animal largely depends on its habitat: sea waters and fresh waters. In these creatures, the color of the upper body region can be either light, for example, sandy, or multi-colored, with a fancy ornament or dark. It is this coloring that helps the stingrays successfully camouflage themselves from observers from above, giving it the opportunity to merge with the surrounding space.

The underside of these flat creatures is usually lighter than the top. On the indicated side of the animal are such organs as the mouth and nostrils, as well as gills in the amount of five pairs. The tail of such inhabitants of the waters has a whip-like shape.

Rays are a very large group of aquatic animals that have nothing to do with mammals . stingray – is it a fish or more precisely, a creature belonging to the category of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish.

What does the electric stingray eat and how does it hunt?

The electric stingray feeds mainly on fish and carrion. Smaller representatives of stingrays produce small marine plankton in the form of small fish, crabs, octopuses. More large species eat fish. For example, capelin, mullet, sardines, salmon. When hunting, the electric stingray catches up with its prey and hugs it with its fins. A row is launched on the victim electrical discharges due to which she dies.

High voltage electric ramp

Electric rays have two electric kidney-like organs. These organs generate electricity through muscle contractions. This electrical energy is then stored in these organs in the same way as in a battery. Electrical energy can emanate from the body, allowing the ray to deliver a powerful electrical shock to the victim. A large electric ramp that is fully charged can create an electrical shock of up to 220 volts. It's enough to completely knock an adult human off his feet, but not enough to kill him, although he could potentially kill someone with health issues. However, death can occur if a person is unconscious, shocked, or injured so that they cannot swim normally and, as a result, may simply drown. The stingray uses its electrical abilities as a defensive measure and also as a way to hunt its prey. Although the electric ray seems to be slow and a poor swimmer, it will use a short, high-speed dash to get close to the fish and then strike electric shock. If he manages to get close enough, he will wrap his wings around the fish to deliver several electric shocks and immediately kill his prey. Electric stingrays have an expanding mouth that allows them to swallow very large fish. This diagram shows the electrical organs of an electric stingray. The electrical charge is generated by muscle contractions and stored in these organs, which can account for almost 20% of a stingray's entire body weight.

Electric charge it will also be used in self-defense to scare away large predators such as sharks that might try to attack him. Although rare, people have been hit by electric stingrays while walking in the sea near the shore, and divers who thought it was good idea to touch the electric ramp. In such cases, people often received a mild warning electric shock. In fact, it is generally accepted that electric stingrays have two different shocks: a short, weak warning electric shock to stop approaching it, and a full-power shock aimed at killing prey or an attacker.

Interesting facts about electric rays

Electric rays are viviparous, giving birth to live fry after they hatch from eggs in the female's uterus. In the later stages of the 8-10 month gestation period, the female excretes liquid products for the developing embryos.

Since contact with an electric ray can cause numbness, the ancient Romans and Greeks called these rays "numbfish". They believed the numbness had therapeutic value and applied stingrays to their bodies to treat gout, chronic headaches, and other ailments.

Stingrays can generate and control electric charges on own will. Although electric rays can be aggressive, there is no evidence that they harm humans.

Black electric rays, for example, live along the coastlines of Canada, the United States, Great Britain and South Africa. But they have also been found in the open ocean at depths of around 450 m (1,475 ft). Blind electric rays (lat. Typhlonarke aysoni) have been found in waters as deep as 900 m (2,950 ft).

The mouth of the short-tailed gnus (lat. Hypnos monopterygius) is huge, which allows it to swallow prey half its size.

In addition to stunning potential prey and scaring away presumed predators, the electric organs of electric rays can also be used to locate prey and communicate with each other.

Electric stingray contacts with people

The shock generated by California midges can be enough to incapacitate an adult human. It should be approached with caution, especially at night when it is active and if harassed it has been known to attack divers with open mouth. It is not known for certain, but he may have been involved in several unexplained diving-related deaths. This species does not do well in captivity as it usually refuses to feed when it first enters an aquarium.

Unfortunately, we were unable to find any reports of electric stingray contact with humans, so we are sharing a case that occurred in Australia involving a stingray (apparently). These stingrays are also dangerous and people have already died from their tails.

Reproduction and lifespan of stingray fish

Some species of stingrays are viviparous, others lay eggs in capsules. There are also varieties that perform their reproductive function in an intermediate way, being ovoviviparous.

When carrying cubs, the mother's body nourishes the embryos, a kind of outgrowths that penetrate into the oral cavity.

Female sea devil is able to give birth to only one cub, but its dimensions are very impressive, and its weight is about 10 kg. But the female electric stingray, which gives birth to live cubs, is able to increase the genus of stingrays sometimes by 14 individuals.

The size of newborns is only 2 cm, but from the very first minute of existence they are able to produce electricity.

The lifespan of stingrays most often depends on the size. Small species live an average of 7 to 10 years. The larger ones live longer, about 10 to 18 years.

Some species: the electric stingray, as well as a number of others, for example, living near the Cayman Islands, where the most favorable conditions exist for such representatives of the fauna, live for a period of about a quarter of a century.

Video

Among all other inhabitants of the seas and oceans, stingrays stand out especially, mainly due to their unusualness. Looking at how they flutter in the water column, one immediately remembers the birds, which are also at ease in the air. However, most stingrays prefer to stay near the bottom, looking for food for themselves, and in order to admire them, divers have to track them down for a long time. But not all stingrays are harmless! Some of them can be very dangerous, although they do not attack people first - defending themselves, they can even kill a person carelessly approaching them.

Stingray Facts

From the point of view of zoologists, rays belong to cartilaginous fish.
They are found in all seas and oceans without exception.
Different types of stingrays live well in cold Arctic waters with a temperature of 1.5-2 degrees Celsius, and in hot tropics, where the water warms up to +30.
Most stingrays usually stay in shallow water, but they have been found at depths up to 2700 meters.
It is the rays that are the closest relatives of sharks ().
Some stingrays live in tropical rivers, although most of them live in salt water.
The body length of the stingray can vary from a few centimeters to 3-6 meters.
The maximum mass of the stingray, officially registered, reached 2.5 tons.
The largest stingray is the manta, or sea devil. It is named so because of the presence of head fins that are rolled into a tube and stick out forward like horns.
The well-known sawfish also belongs to the stingrays.
Most stingrays live on the bottom, and only a few of them swim freely in the water column. The latter include the aforementioned manta rays, as well as stingrays.
Electric rays attack opponents with a current discharge from 30 to 220-230 volts and a power of over 30 amperes. Such an electric shock can easily paralyze a person.
Most stingrays feed on benthic animals, in particular, worms, molluscs and various crustaceans ()
Some stingrays have electric organs on the sides of their bodies, and stingrays have spikes on their tails equipped with a poisonous gland.
Stingrays pose a great danger to humans. Their poison can easily kill even a physically strong and healthy man.
Manta ray fry are exact smaller copies of their parents.
Among stingrays there are oviparous, viviparous and ovoviviparous.
The skin of stingrays can be either bare or covered with coarse spikes.
In some countries, stingray egg capsules are eaten, which are called "mermaid purses."
Stingrays are found even in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, the smallest and warmest on Earth ().
In Korea, stingrays are eaten in the form of hwe (raw), and the dish with them is called "hon'ohwe chhomuchim."
Handles are expensive Japanese swords once covered with stingray skin.
Some species of stingrays do not collect prey on seabed and actively hunt fish.

In the gloomy depths of the seas and oceans, such monsters lurk that you were afraid to even think about. Stinging with poisonous spikes, shocking - they are still the most unexplored inhabitants of the water expanses of our planet. Now you will read the most Interesting Facts about stingrays, what little we know about them at the moment.

The stingray is one of the most dangerous creatures oceans. A 15 cm spike hidden in its tail easily pierces the victim or drives away the offender. The notches on the spike make the wound lacerated and incompatible with life, and after the attack, the spike remains in the victim's body. In addition, it is poisonous and can even kill a person.
The manta ray occasionally jumps out of the water to the surface.. The height of these jumps reaches three meters. Scientists suggest that in this way, manta rays, like schooling fish, give a certain signal to the rest of the flock.
Sea devils, otherwise known as manta rays, despite their impressive size reaching two tons, are harmless in nature. Lacking poisonous thorns, they often become victims of their own relatives - sharks. But they best friends for curious divers who can swim side by side with these giants.
Rays are directly related to sharks.. These two varieties are the most famous representatives a class of cartilaginous fish that do not have a bony skeleton. Although they are predators, plankton and small crustaceans living on the ocean floor are enough for them to feed.
Female sea devil bears only one cub for one year. It is born weighing more than 10 kilograms and about one meter in size. After that, the female loses all interest in him, and the newborn sets off for free swimming.
During the period mating games, up to twenty males gather near the female manta. A kind of dance takes place, when the males repeat after the female all her movements. As a result, the most skilled male gets the right to copulate, which lasts only a minute and a half.
In regions where electric rays live, locals and tourists conduct original sessions of traditional medicine. It is believed that if you receive a series of discharges from such a ramp, you can cure many diseases, such as arthritis or back pain.
The strength of the current discharge after being hit by an electric ramp is theoretically enough to cause death to a person. True, the history of such cases does not know, because it is quite difficult to get such a blow by accident. The slope should be large in size, and a person should not just touch it with his finger, but practically hug the fish.
[b] In marble electric stingrays, the heart contracts only 15 times per minute, which allows them to burrow into the sand and lie on the bottom without moving for several days. Low oxygen content in water and high pressure not a hindrance to these born hunters.
The spines of the stingrays were used in ancient times by the tribes of the countries of the Pacific basin as arrowheads and spears. In addition, they were saturated with poison, which brought additional damage to the enemy.
Sea cats are the only species of stingrays that live in Russia and Ukraine, in the Black and Seas of Azov . Like all stingrays, it is poisonous. That does not interfere with its industrial fishing. Stingray meat is considered a delicacy in many countries, and Sea Cat liver is rich in vitamin D.
Motoro - the most common freshwater stingray. For its relatively small size - the maximum length with a tail - 1 m, diameter - up to 30 cm, has gained popularity among aquarists around the world. True, by getting yourself such pet, it is worth remembering that the spikes on his tail are as poisonous as those of his "wild" relatives.
It is a mistake to believe that these fish are found exclusively in warm waters.. The habitat of the Northern stingray and Smooth (diamond) stingray extends up to the bottom of the Northern Arctic Ocean and the seas around it.
Sawfish - the oldest fossil mesozoic era, the extraction of which is prohibited. Revered by the Aztecs, some Asian peoples. saw served sacred symbol, with the help of which it was possible to exorcise spirits, cure diseases.
Steve Irwin, a TV presenter from Australia, was killed on the set of his program by a stingray thorn hitting him right in the heart.

24.04.2016

Skates are one of the superorders of cartilaginous lamellar-gill fish. All representatives of 15 families of these aquatic life have a flattened disc-shaped or diamond-shaped body and large pectoral fins fused to the head. What else has nature come up with to provide these creatures with the best adaptations to their environment? What interesting facts about stingrays are known?

The eyes of the rays are located on the upper side, and the mouth and gill slits on the lower side. They don't see what they eat. And the stingrays have to breathe in an original way. They draw in water through large spiracles located on the upper side of the body and covered with valves, and release a stream saturated with carbon dioxide through the gill slits.
Like others cartilaginous fish, rays are owners of receptors that are sensitive to electric fields. They then replace the fish's vision when hunting and eating.
The head of the sawfish, or sawfish stingray (comb sawfish) is equipped with an elongated flat snout with tooth-like outgrowths along the edges. They feed on animals living in the bottom soil or near-bottom flocks of fish, digging them out with their snout-saw or stunning them with a saw blow from above. It's pretty big fish- 6 meters, 300 kilograms.
At the top of the tail part of the body of another representative of the stingrays - stingrays - there are one or more needles equipped with grooves, through which poison is injected into the body of the victim. Large stingrays have tremendous tail muscle strength and needle strength. Their impact is able to pierce the multi-layered clothing and strong shoes of a person.
Electric stingrays have a rounded body shape, a small tail. On the sides of their body between the head and pectoral fins there are electrical organs. These organs are modified muscles. The voltage of the electric shock of a large electric ramp is 220 volts.
Most species of stingrays live at the bottom, only manta rays and stingrays actively move in the water column.
Rays usually have blunt teeth adapted for grinding mollusk shells.
Most a long tail at sea fox or prickly stingray, living in the northern part Atlantic Ocean, in the Indian Ocean, with us - in the Black Sea, where it is mined for the production of fat. The blows of his tail are very painful. In the Black Sea there is another representative of the subfamily - catfish(ordinary stingray), it is no less dangerous.
The first rays appeared in the Mesozoic, they used to think that they were descended from sharks. After genetic analysis, it is argued that their ancestors were other animals.
Another type of stingray - River stingray - lives in the waters of the Amazon. It lives on sandbanks, where the bottom is clearly visible, but it is difficult to notice the stingray until its sharp poisoned spike sticks into the leg. From its strong thorn, the Indians make arrowheads.
More than others, guitar rays are similar to their closest relatives of sharks. Their body shape resembles this musical instrument.
Off the coast of Africa, you can watch the flight of the major representative stingrays - manta rays or a giant sea devil. He likes to rest on the surface of the water and jump out of it to a height of one and a half meters. At the same time, it seems that he is flying and frighteningly flapping his wings.
In the skin of stingrays there are cells - chromatophores, with the help of which they can change color, like many inhabitants of the bottom and benthic vegetation.
The strong and durable skin of stingrays is used by people to make expensive accessories, and their meat is loved in many countries of the world.

Stingrays do not reproduce very quickly, although internal fertilization predominates in their development cycle, among them there are both oviparous, ovoviviparous, and viviparous species. One of the rarest animals in the world is the small-toothed sawfly, which lives in the tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Long time they were hunted because of the meat of their fins, from which they cooked expensive exotic soup. AT folk medicine the fat of its liver is used, and the rostrum of the animal is especially valued. Having almost destroyed the stingray, people decided to save his life and put it on the list of specially protected animals.