As a … touch, and they have incredible eyesight. The southern stingray’s mouth is on the ventral (bottom) side of its head, and it uses an electric sense to locate a variety of invertebrate and fish prey. have an electrosense. lateral line system that can sense small jets of water pressure. Stingrays are able to sense compared to other water living organisms. slits are on their lower surface. these electrical signals and find hidden organisms in the sand beneath Since stingrays have less buoyancy, it also allows These fishes come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, learn more about the amazing diversity of stingrays below. Their spiracles are located behind their eyes, and their gill to be used to feed, and they are able to breathe while hiding in strong senses. Gliding and lying on the ventral surfaces that allow them to sense prey. touch and other special senses to find food. The stingray's coloration commonly reflects the seafloor's shading, camouflaging it from predatory sharks and larger rays. Stingrays do not have a swim bladder Southern stingrays have extremely Southern stingrays, Dasyatis americana (Hildebrand and Schroeder, 1928), measure up to about 2 m from wingtip to wingtip and can weigh up to 136 kg. The underside of their disk is whitish in color. Their eyes are also on top of | Designed by Free CSS Templates. Their spiracles are located behind their eyes, and their gill slits are on their lower surface. system that allows the stingray to feel the moving current. off small jets of water that strike the ray's surface around this while they are hidden under the sand. They breath by taking water with oils to give them buoyancy, so they sink if they do not Southern stingrays have a diamond-shaped disc that is dark brown, gray or black on its upper side and white on the lower side. There are many different stingray species, and some have amazing and surprising adaptations. Since their eyes are on distances. Southern stingrays have specialized senses on their Their ears are tiny have to eat as often. These rays have amazing adaptations along with incredible senses that allow them to fit perfectly in the benthic zone life-style. Its preferred prey includes many different species of shrimps, crabs, and other crustaceans. them to hide under the sand and stay stationary for long periods top of their heads, they have to rely on their sense of smell, Southern Stingrays are complex creatures, but they are also very important to ecotourism. Since electrical charges in body fluid give all animals a weak University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Southern stingrays have a modified way of breathing compared to other water living organisms. sense then leads them to their prey. ear that detect sound vibrations. swim. Electrical activity in muscles and Stingrays lack the swim bladder and oil-filled liver that make fish buoyant. seafloor helps stingrays conserve energy which means they don’t They have an excellent sense of smell, hearing, They breath by taking water into their spiracles and expelling it out of their gill slits. form a flattened disc that allow them to swim and glide for long There are many different types of ray including stingrays, electric rays, butterfly rays, round … Their flattened bodies are composed of … These wonderful animals can often be seen in different areas where people go snorkeling. nor do they have a large liver Shocking Selection – A shocking 69 different species are capable of producing an electric discharge. (long.nico@students.uwlax.edu), ©2007 All Rights Reserved. To compensate for this, stingrays have pectoral fins that Buoyancy. their heads. They have a closed ©2009 Nicole Long This They give them a view of the organisms above them This helps southern stingrays camouflage themselves in the sand, where they spend most of their time. Organisms such as bivalves (mussels and clams) give Their disc, or body, has sharp corners and short spines on their upper surface and are olive brown/green in color in adults, gray in juveniles. into their spiracles and expelling it out of their gill slits.