By John

Physical description

Rays are very cool because they have a very flattened arrow shape body. Rays are typically black or dark in color with a white underneath. Their large pectoral fins work like wings and they flap them to move through the water. Rays have a large rectangular mouth and their tails are poisonous.

•Sharp point on the end of the tail•Flat body and tail •4inches to 22feet in length•Pectoral fins look like wings•Body triangle shaped like an arrow•Some rays have spots•Color like the sea, dark navy, black or brown•All white underneath•They are like a bat in the sea

Rays are found in tropical watersLive near coral reefsLive in shallow waterFound in warm seasUsually live near islandsLike to swim near the top of water

Rays live in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. They need warm water to stay warm. Rays prefer shallow waters and like to stay close to the shore and swim on top of the water. Rays can be found in fresh water and salt water.

Habitat

Plankton is main food sourceEat shrimp, small fish and marine wormsThere top predator is the Hammerhead shark Big rectangular mouth to filter food

Rays spend many hours a day eating. They can consume up to 60 pounds of food a day. They eat by opening their large rectangular mouth and filter the food ingested. Rays prefer the food sources found near coral reefs.

Food chain

Scientists know very little about the Ray’s life cycle Average lifespan of a ray is 16-20 years old, however rays have been

known to live up to 100 years old at times Females produce babies from an egg that hatches inside her first and

then she gives birth to a pup The ability to have pups is based on size instead of age A male must be 13 feet long to become a father A female must be 16 feet long to become a mother Pups weigh up to 24 pounds and are 4 feet long It takes 1 -3 years for babies to develop inside their mother

Rays live anywhere from 20-100 years old. Females usually have 1-2 babies per litter. A baby ray starts as an egg inside their mother. The baby egg hatches inside the mother and is delivered as a pup. It takes 1-3 years for a baby ray to develop inside their mother.

Life cycle

Rays are related to sharksRays do not have bonesRays can have a venomous tail and a spineCan be dangerous to humansFresh water rays are a least 14 feet longThe ancient people of Peru worshipped raysRays can leap out of the water up to 7 feet highWingspan can be up to 20 feet in length Stingrays have venomous barbs, or tails, and manta rays don’t. There are

about 25 species of rays in the world. Rays are classified as a fish, being one of the largest and continues to be one that we know least about.

Fun Facts