Some species live on the seafloor and hunt for their meals, but some traverse the open ocean and eat plankton from just below the surface. They have a slender tail, which in some species is paired with a venomous spine. Rays have flat bodies that they move by flapping or rippling their pectoral fins. There are about 600 species of rays, which includes everything from ocean-crossing manta rays to stingrays that prefer to spend their time hiding in the sand. Cartilage is what makes up our earlobe or the tip of our nose, and it helps these animals be both tough and flexible. In science, fish are separated into those with skeletons of bone, and those with skeletons of cartilage. Photo / DilettantO Differences between a Manta Ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays
Differences between a Manta Ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays.Rays can be easy to confuse, but here are some differences that may help you determine which is which. Read More: Q&A with Marine Science Teacher, Anna Ortega That day began a never-ending journey for me to work on improving my reef creature ID skills. I sheepishly admitted that I had no idea, and after some research I learned that the ray I saw was a spotted eagle ray.
When I got out of the water, gushing about my dive, one of the instructors asked me if the ray I saw was a stingray, a manta ray, or an eagle ray. The crystal-clear, warm water of the Caribbean made it easy to enjoy a shipwreck, more fish than I could count, and a majestic ray all in the span of thirty minutes.
Growing up and learning how to scuba dive in the Midwest, I will never forget my first ocean dive. Much like siblings, they may be related but are actually pretty different in many ways. Let’s take a look at some rays! Manta Ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays. Photo: Sebastian Pena Lambarri / Unsplash A lucky sight to behold a squadron of manta rays.