An Intimidating Fish They Call the Stingray

by Rick O'Connor | May 31, 2018

It is now late May and in recent weeks I, and several volunteers, have been surveying the area for terrapins, horseshoe crabs, and monitoring local seagrass beds. We see many creatures when we are out and about; one that has been quite common all over the bay has been the “stingray”.

The cownose ray is often mistaken for the manta ray. It lacks the palps (“horns”) found on the manta.
Photo: Florida Sea Grant

These are intimidating creatures… everyone knows how they can inflict a painful wound using the spine in their tail, but may are not aware that not all “stingrays” can actually use a spine to drive you off – actually, not all “rays” are “stingrays”.

So what is a ray?

First, they are fish – but differ from most fish in that they lack a bony skeleton. Rather it is cartilaginous, which makes them close cousins of the sharks.

So what is the difference between a shark and a ray?

You would immediately jump on the fact that rays are flat disked-shape fish, and that sharks are more tube-shaped and fish like. This is probably true in most cases, but not all.  The characteristics that separate the two groups are

• The five gill slits of a shark are on the side of the head – they are on the ventral side (underside) of a ray
• The pectoral fin begins behind the gill slits in sharks, in front of for the ray group

Not all rays have the whip-like tail that possess a sharp spine; some in fact have a tube-shaped body with a well-developed caudal fin for a tail.

There are eight families and 19 species of rays found in the Gulf of Mexico. Some are not common, but others are very much so.

Sawfish are large tube-shaped rays with a well-developed caudal fin.  They are easily recognized by their large rostrum possessing “teeth” giving them their common name.  Walking the halls of Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, you will see photos of fishermen posing next to monsters they have captured.  Sawfish can reach lengths of 18 feet… truly intimidating.  However, they are very slow and lethargic fish.  They spend their lives in estuaries, rarely going deeper than 30 feet.  They were easy targets for fishermen who displayed them as if they caught a true monster.  Today they are difficult to find and are protected.  There are still sightings in southwest Florida, and reports from our area, but I have never seen one here.  I sure hope to one day.  There are two species in the Gulf of Mexico.

Guitarfish are tube-shaped rays that are very elongated.  They appear to be sharks, albeit their heads are pretty flat.  They more common in the Gulf than the bay and, at times, will congregate near our reefs and fishing piers to breed.  They are often confused with the electric rays called torpedo rays, but guitarfish lack the organs needed to deliver an electric shock.  They have rounded teeth and prefer crustaceans and mollusk to fish.  There is only one species in the Gulf.

Torpedo rays can deliver an electric shock – about 35 volts of one.  Though there are stories of these shocking folks to death, I am not aware of any fatalities.  Nonetheless, the shock can be serious and beach goers are warned to be cautious.  I once mistook one buried in the sand for a shell.  Let us just say the jolt got my attention and I may have had a few words for this fish before I returned to the beach.  We have two species of torpedo rays in the Gulf of Mexico.

Skates look JUST like stingrays – but they lack the whip-like tail and the venomous spine that goes with it.  They are very common in the inshore waters of the Florida Panhandle and though they lack the terrifying spine we are all concerned about, they do possess a series of small thorn-like spine on the back that can be painful to the bare foot of a swimmer.  Skates are famous for producing the black egg case folks call the “mermaids’ purse”. These are often found dried up along the shore of both the Gulf and they bay and popular items to take home after a fun day at the beach.  There are four species of skates found in the Gulf of Mexico.

Stingrays… this is the one… this is the one we are concerned about.  Stingrays can be found on both sides of our barrier islands and like to hide beneath the sand to ambush their prey.  More often than not, when we approach they detect this and leave.  However, sometimes they will remain in the sand hoping not to be detected.  The swimmer then steps on their backs forcing them to whip their long tail over and drive the serrated spine into your foot.  This usually makes you move off them – among other things.  The piercing is painful and spine (which is actually a modified tooth) possesses glands that contain a toxic substance.  It really is no fun to be stung by these guys.  Many people will do what is called the “stingray shuffle” as they move through the water.  This is basically sliding your feet across the sand reducing your chance of stepping on one.  They are no stranger to folks who visit St. Joe Bay.  The spines being modified teeth can be easily replaced after lodging in your foot.  Actually, it is not uncommon to find one with two or three spines in their tails ready to go.  Stingrays do not produce “mermaids’ purses” but rather give live birth.  There are five species in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Atlantic Stingray is one of the common members of the ray group who does possess a venomous spine.
Photo: Florida Museum of Natural History

Butterfly ray is a strange looking fish and easy to recognize.  The wide pectoral fins and small tail gives it the appearance of a butterfly.  Despite the small tail, it does possess a spine.  However, the small tail makes it difficult for the butterfly ray to pierce you with it.  There is only one species in the Gulf, the smooth butterfly ray.

Eagle rays are one of the few groups of rays that actually in the middle of the water column instead of sitting on the ocean floor.  They can get quite large and often mistaken for manta rays.  Eagle rays lack the palps (“horns”) that the manta ray possesses.  Rather they have a blunt shaped head and feed on mollusk.  They do have venomous spines but, as with the butterfly ray, their tails are too short to extend and use it the way stingrays do.  There are two species.  The eagle ray is brown and has spots all over its back.  The cownose ray is very common and almost every time I see one, I hear “there go manta rays”… again, they are not mantas.  They have a habit of swimming in the surf and literally body surfing.  Surfers, beachcombers, and fishermen frequently see them.

Last but not least is the very large Manta ray.  This large beast can reach 22 feet from wingtip to wing tip.  Like eagle rays, they swim through the ocean rather than sit on the bottom.  They have to large “horns” (called palps) that help funnel plankton into their mouths.  These horns give them one of their common names – the devilfish.  Mantas, like eagle and butterfly rays, do have whip-like tails and a venomous spine, but like the above, their tails are much shorter and so effective placement of the spine in your foot is difficult.

Many are concerned when they see rays – thinking that all can inflict a painful spine into your foot – but they are actually really neat animals, and many are very excited to see them.

References

Hoese, H.D., R.H. Moore. 1977. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico; Texas, Louisiana, and Adjacent Waters. Texas A&M.  College Station, TX. pp. 327.

Shipp, R. L. 2012. Guide to Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. KME Seabooks. Mobile AL. pp. 250.