Aetobatus narinari
Southern Stingray
Maximum Size:
10 ft (3 m) disc width, 500 lb (230 kg)
Longevity:
Up to 20 years.
Typical depth:
3–260 ft (1–80 m)
Behavior:
Spotted eagle rays are carnivores that specialize in eating hard-shelled prey such as conch, clams, crabs and lobsters. They sometimes eat octopuses and fish as well, and are often found over sand habitat. They have electro-receptors in their snout to help search for buried prey.
Predators:
Tiger, bull, lemon, and hammerhead sharks.
Did you know?
The spotted eagle ray is believed to be quite intelligent – it has one of the highest brain-to-body ratios among fish, and is known to have a complex social system. Many of this species’ social behaviors are still not fully understood.