What does the electric stingray eat and how does it hunt? Stingrays: interesting facts Interesting information about stingrays

Stingrays are related to sharks. First, What they have in common is that both do not have bones, they are replaced by cartilage. Second, they live in sea ​​depths. Third, that's what they drive predatory image life.


The habitats of stingrays, as well as sharks, are different latitudes and depths of the seas.

Stingrays look quite peculiar; at first glance, they resemble a children's toy - kite. They have a flattened body, as if pressed down by someone from above. The body of stingrays is covered with scales, appearance which resembles thorns. The structure of these spines is similar to the structure of teeth. Immediately from the head there are huge pectoral fins, it seems that they are fused with the head. Stingrays swim with the help of these fins, the work of which sets the whole body in motion. This is how stingrays differ from their relatives - sharks, whose main thing in swimming is their powerful tail.


The teeth of stingrays fit tightly together and look like a grater. The eyes are located on top of the head, the eyeballs are tightly rooted to its base, which are completely devoid of blink reflexes. Stingrays vary in size: they can range from a few centimeters to seven meters in length.

Stingray habitats

Stingrays are mainly bottom dwellers and their favorite places to live are depths of the sea. Since they are predators, they happily eat small fish, crayfish, and mollusks, which they find at the bottom of reservoirs. Because they live mainly on the bottom of oceans and seas, the color of the dorsal part of stingrays changes from sandy to black. In this way they adapt to the changeable and treacherous bottom world and the color of their back changes for secrecy. The habitats of stingrays are quite diverse: they can live in the cold waters of Antarctica and in tropical seas. They feel very comfortable at water temperatures up to 30 0 C. Many species of stingrays live right off the coast, at a depth of one meter, but there are also those that descend to an ocean depth of up to three kilometers.

Varieties of stingrays

There are more than four hundred species of stingrays in nature. Their appearance and lifestyle directly depend on their habitat.

Here, for example, are some of them:

– this species is characterized by the fact that the weight of this stingray can reach up to 2 tons (!) and the wingspan in motion can be up to 7 meters. The manta ray looks very mesmerizing when it is swimming; it resembles a huge fairy-tale bird. A characteristic feature of this type of stingray is that, like dolphins, they love to jump out of the water, reaching a height of up to 1.5 meters and fall back, splashing water in different directions.

- their wingspan is slightly smaller, reaching up to 2.5 meters, and can stretch up to five meters in length. Stingrays of this variety have a kind of spike at the end of their tail, which they use for self-defense and can hit the enemy so that he flies far to the side.

Electric ramps- this type of stingray has a natural gift, an electrical discharge, which can protect the stingray from impending danger or paralyze the victim - prey. The charge of electricity is located at the junction of the head of the stingray and pectoral fins. Discharge strength electric current a regular stingray can reach up to 40 volts. This blow will be enough to stun the victim, paralyze him and then eat him.

Peculiarities of stingray reproduction

During the mating season, the female stingray gathers around her a huge number of males, who, as if spellbound, synchronously repeat all the movements of the female. The most successful and agile male who wins these games receives the right to copulate with the female, which lasts only one and a half minutes.

Stingrays reproduce in different ways: they are viviparous and egg-laying, so-called capsules, each containing a fertilized egg. There is such a species of stingray as the Sea Devil, the female of this species carries one single baby for a whole year, which is born weighing more than ten kilograms and up to one meter tall. After his birth, the mother loses all interest in her child and he sets off on his own.

• Stingray is the most stingray dangerous look for a person. On the tail of this species of stingray there is a huge spike, at the end of which there are poisonous cells. When receiving a portion of this poison, a person can be completely paralyzed, blood pressure can drop to a minimum, skeletal joints and muscles can be paralyzed without recovery.
• The eyes and mouth of a stingray are located in different places on the head and the stingray never sees what it absorbs while eating.
• People catch stingrays and use their skin to make belts and wallets, and eat the meat.
• In places where stingrays live, local residents and tourists try to get an electric shock from the stingray. It is believed that by receiving the desired shock of electricity from the stingray, people will get rid of many diseases such as back pain.
• Ancient people actively hunted stingrays tail-shaped. They used the spines of these stingrays to make arrows. In addition to the fact that they were very convenient for hunting, they were saturated with poison, which helped them in the fight against external enemies. Information about the characteristics, habitats, habits and consequences of encounters with a stingray is so interesting and informative that a whole book would not be enough to describe everything that interests people about these rather unusual creatures.

“Blanket” or “cloak” is how the Spanish word “scat” is translated. Sea devil is another name for this majestic and absolutely safe animal.

Taxonomy of manta rays

Manta rays belong to the order Dasyatiformes caudapods (according to other sources - to the order of eagle rays - Myliobatidae). In the genus Manta, they are the only species of the manta family. Systematic scientists have not yet come to a single opinion about the presence of some orders of stingrays. Some sources indicate the existence of an order of eagle rays, including the stingray family, others distinguish them into a separate family. However, this is already the sphere of research of scientific specialists.

Appearance of the manto ray sea devil

The elegance and plasticity of the movement of the stingray evokes admiration, as if it were floating in the depths of the sea like a magic flying carpet. Manta rays (Manta birostris) are the most famous to science. Its size and amazing appearance have given rise to the creation of legends and stories about this extraordinary fish.

At birth, the manta reaches more than one and a half meters in fin span, and when it grows, it can reach 8 meters and weigh more than 2 tons. It should be noted that the manta ray is not the largest species of ray; the primacy is occupied by the saw-tailed ray, the size of which reaches 7.6 m from the tips of the snout and tail. Due to the scope and massiveness of the manta's wings and fins, biologists consider it the largest stingray, a real sea giant.

The appearance of stingrays is unique; their body looks like a diamond-shaped carpet: black on top and bright white on the ventral side. Wide wing-fins, a short whip-shaped tail and the tips of the pectoral fins on the head in the form of horns, with which the stingray increases the flow of water into the oral cavity.

Is the Devil Manto dangerous for humans?

The frightening appearance of manta rays due to their size and “horns” is deceptive; stingrays are safe for humans. However, even a slight flap of the wing fins can seriously injure a person. In former times, there were tales about the bloodthirstiness of manta rays. It was believed that he could grab a person, strangle him and eat him. But manta rays are not among the species of aggressive marine animals and never attack people.

Features of the manta ray

On their way to collect plankton, stingrays can travel thousands of kilometers.

Stingrays live in warm waters all oceans except the Arctic. More often they are found in Indian Ocean, where they form entire flocks. They usually hover in the water column, absorbing plankton harvest, and often rest near the surface, exposing the tips of their pectoral fins to the surface.

Interestingly, manta rays are the most “brainy” fish in the World Ocean. The specific gravity of the manta ray brain (relative to body weight) is the largest of the known to science fish It is possible that manta rays are the most “smart” fish on Earth.

Large manta rays have practically no predators; only parasites cause serious trouble, causing itching and pain by eating flesh. Small individuals often become victims of sharks and other sea ​​predators. Due to the low speed of the manta, no more than 20 km/h,

The electric stingray is a marine cartilaginous fish , distinctive feature which is the presence of paired electrical organs. The order of electric stingrays consists of 4 families and more than 60 species.

Electric ramp - characteristics and description.

The body of the electric stingray is disc-shaped with a slight extension in the form of a tail, there is a caudal fin and one or two upper fins. The body size of the stingray can reach 50 centimeters. However, there are also major representatives, whose maximum body length reaches 1.2 meters and weighs approximately 100 kg. Sea fish The stingray can have different colors: from the simplest, discreet color to bright and colorful designs and patterns. The eyes of the electric stingray are located on top, so anatomical structure determines sufficiently poor vision in this species of fish. On the sides of the disc-shaped body are kidney-shaped organs that produce electricity, they are located between the head and pectoral fins. Electric organs stingrays Designed for self-defense and catching prey purposes. With their help, the stingray releases bundle-shaped electric ranks power from 6 to 220 volts. Thus, the fish strikes prey or an enemy and attacks him.

Where do stingrays live?

The habitats of stingrays are quite different. The electric stingray lives on reefs, clay bays, and sandy beach areas. Sometimes a stingray can live in the depths of seas and oceans, maximum depth The stingray's dive is approximately 1000 meters. This fish can only be found in the waters of temperate and tropical climate 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, due to their body shape adapted for this. Rounded fins allow stingrays to seem to float in aquatic environment, without spending much effort on covering long distances. This helps stingrays in the process of searching for food for themselves and their newborn babies.

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

Feeds electric Stingray mainly fish and carrion. Smaller representatives of stingrays extract small sea ​​plankton in the form of small fish, crabs, octopuses. More large species feed on fish. For example, mullet, salmon. When hunting, the electric stingray catches up with its prey and hugs it with its fins. A series of electrical discharges are released onto the victim, as a result of which he dies.

Sea devil is another name for this majestic and absolutely safe animal. Its size and amazing appearance have given rise to the creation of legends and stories about this extraordinary fish.

They are able to make high jumps above water

Sea giant

The stingray's large wing-like fins reach seven meters. They can completely wrap a whale shark - the most big fish in the world. Due to the scope and massiveness of the manta's wings and fins, biologists consider it the largest stingray, a real sea giant.

Habitat

Stingrays live in the warm waters of all oceans except the Arctic. They are more often found in the Indian Ocean, where they form entire schools. Typically, stingrays hover in the water column, absorbing the harvest of plankton, and often rest near the surface with the tips of their pectoral fins exposed.

Stingrays are attracted to air bubbles

Brain size

Interestingly, manta rays are the most “brainy” fish in the World Ocean. The specific gravity of the manta's brain (relative to body weight) is the largest fish known to science. It is possible that manta rays are the most “smart” fish on Earth.

Manta rays feed on plankton, crustaceans and small fish. On their way to collect plankton, stingrays can travel thousands of kilometers. Stingrays get plankton in an interesting way: they line up in a long “chain” and close it in a circle, then the stingrays quickly move in a circle, thereby creating a “tornado” under water. This funnel sucks in and holds plankton captive. The stingrays begin a feast and devour their prey.

Giant mouth

The mouth of these stingrays is very wide and is located on the front edge of the head. Like other stag rays, mantas have developed a kind of filtering apparatus, consisting of gill plates on which food is filtered - planktonic crustaceans, small fish.

Man knows so little about the ocean! Even now, in our time, it remains practically unstudied. Less than a month passes before someone discovers a new deep-sea creature that was previously unknown, but how many more secrets are hidden in the depths of the ocean is unknown. One of the most interesting species Living on the ocean floor is the stingray.

Danger

One of the most formidable creatures in the ocean is the stingray. And all because of his tail! There is a fifteen-centimeter long spike on it. The wounds of the offender are torn, thanks to the characteristic sharp growths on the thorn. Besides all this, weapons are poisonous and lethal even to humans.

Theoretically, the force of the current discharge from an electric stingray is enough to kill even a person, but, fortunately, such cases have never happened, since in order for a person to die from the electric shock of a stingray, he needs to fully embrace it.

The tribes of the countries of the Pacific basin made arrowheads and spears from the spines of stingrays. In addition to terrible lacerations, the enemy receives poison from which he can die.

The saw-nosed ray has a sharp, saw-shaped outgrowth on its face. Its extraction is strictly prohibited. This inhabitant of the ocean floor lived back in Mesozoic era, and the Aztecs believed that the “saw” of this stingray was a cure for many diseases (of course, this is not true).

The most common type of stingray is the motoro. It is small in size but has gained immense popularity among scuba divers. Like many stingrays, the motoro is poisonous.

Although cases of stingray attacks are not common, Australian TV presenter Steve Irwin died while filming his own program. The stingray's spike hit him straight in the heart. There is a version that the TV presenter could have been saved if he had not tried to pull out the spike on his own, and it would have been removed by surgeons in the hospital. However, a stingray is a living animal, and it is difficult to predict what will happen after its attack, so there is no need to allow an attack with a dangerous spike.

Appearance

Interesting facts about stingrays - appearance. Interesting structure respiratory organs stingrays Exhalation occurs through the gills at the bottom of the body, but inhalation occurs through special holes behind the eyes so that silt and sand do not enter the lungs.

There is no way that stingrays will be able to see their food, since the eyes are located on top of the flat body, and the mouth is located below.

Many stingrays are able to change their color to blend in with the ocean floor. Burying a little in the silt, they become almost invisible.

Previously, it was believed that stingrays originated from sharks, but scientists, after conducting research, refuted this hypothesis.

The stingray does not have a single bone in its structure. It consists entirely of cartilage. He doesn't need bones, since he basically just lies on the seabed.

Features of behavior

The stingray, in addition to sight and smell, also uses touch. Thanks to special electroreceptors, it is able to notice even the slightest changes in electric fields in water. This change occurs due to the contraction of the fish's muscles.

Surprisingly, a large manta ray (weighs two tons) is capable of jumping out of the water to a height of three meters. Scientists have proven that this is some kind of special signal sent to his flock.

Unlike stingrays, the manta ray is absolutely harmless. It does not have any poisonous thorns. But this type is much larger - weight adult can reach two tons.

The marbled stingray's heart beats only 15 times per minute. This animal is capable of burrowing into the mud and waiting for its prey there for up to several days. Enormous pressure and lack of oxygen do not prevent him from hunting successfully.

Stingrays are born alive or with the help of so-called egg capsules with a dense egg shell.

Stingrays can live in almost all seas and oceans and even in fresh water bodies.

Stingray is certainly one of the most amazing and interesting inhabitants ocean floor. It can be beautiful, it can be dangerous, it can be big or small. The meat of this creature is considered a delicacy in many countries, and the skin is used in wallets and belts, so the stingray is an object of hunting. There are stingrays in Russia too. Their only representative is the stingray under interesting name- catfish. Unfortunately, its numbers are constantly declining due to industrial fishing. They are an important participant in the ocean ecosystem, so we need to protect both them and their habitat.