Rays are flattened, cartilaginous fish closely related to sharks, gliding through every ocean on Earth from shallow reefs to the open sea. Calm and graceful, they're a favorite sight for divers and snorkelers.
Here are some verified facts about these remarkable creatures, from their ancient lineage to their unusual way of breathing.
There are well over 600 known species of rays, grouped into more than 25 families.
Rays and sharks both belong to the class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes), with rays forming their own group called Batoidea.
Rays have a skeleton made of cartilage rather than bone, which makes them lighter and more flexible than bony fish.
Depending on the species, rays reproduce in different ways: some lay eggs (oviparous), some hatch eggs inside the body before birth (ovoviviparous), and others give birth to live young nourished directly by the mother (viviparous).
Manta rays are thought to live at least 40 to 50 years in the wild, making them one of the longer-lived fish species.
The giant oceanic manta ray is the largest ray species, with most adults reaching a wingspan of up to about 23 feet (7 meters); a few exceptionally large individuals have been reported even larger.
Stingrays have one or more venomous barbed spines near the base of their tail, used purely for self-defense rather than hunting.
Most rays are solitary, but some species, including manta rays and eagle rays, gather in large schools, sometimes numbering in the hundreds.
Many bottom-dwelling rays breathe by drawing water in through spiracles on top of their head and pushing it out through their gills, letting them breathe while buried in sand.
Rays help keep ocean ecosystems balanced by controlling populations of the clams, oysters, and other invertebrates they prey on.
In bottom-dwelling species like stingrays and skates, the eyes sit on top of the head while the mouth is on the underside, an adaptation suited to feeding on the seafloor while staying alert to danger from above.
Many ray species are targeted for their meat, skin, and gill plates, and populations of several species have declined sharply as a result.
Manta rays have no venomous spine at all and are considered harmless to humans, feeding entirely on tiny plankton and small fish filtered from the water.
Electric rays can generate a strong electric shock, sometimes over 200 volts, using specialized organs to stun prey or deter predators.
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