Spotted Eagle Rays appear on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as ‘Near Threatened’ due to fishing throughout the world 1. Eagle Rays are not dangerous to humans unless they are caught and handled incorrectly. The baby rays are called ‘pups’ and about 4 are born in each litter.Įagle Rays are difficult to approach in the water as they tend to swim rapidly away from divers and swimmers. Spotted Eagle Rays give birth to live young which look like miniature copies of the parents.
They may also perform these noisy belly-flops just for fun. Scientists speculate that leaping rays may be females trying to avoid unwanted male attention, or they may do it to shake off parasites or remoras. The reason they do this remains a mystery. Occasionally Eagle Rays can be seen jumping out of the water. Eagle Rays do not have typical teeth instead they have hardened dental plates in the upper and lower jaws, which they use for grinding and crushing mollusc shells. The mouth is located on the underside of the head.
#Manta ray stingray teeth crack#
They dig up molluscs like Calico and Ark Clams and larger individuals will even occasionally crack through a Conch. Wingspan in Bermudian rays generally ranges from 1.2 m (4 feet) to a maximum of about 2 m (6.5 feet).įeeding rays often leave craters in the sand as they submerse their large heads and excavate buried prey. Eagle Rays have a long thin tail with up to 7 barbed spines at the base. These markings along the dorsum are individually specific and can be used as natural “tags” by scientists. These rays are beautifully marked, with a black, dark brown or dark grey back, covered by characteristic white spots and rings, and a bare white underside. Unlike their stingray relatives, Eagle Rays have a pronounced head with a snout, and eyes on the side of the head.
Eagle Rays are most often seen passing in and out of Harrington Sound under Flatts Bridge. However, eagle rays also traverse deeper regions of Harrington Sound, often exceeding 20 meters in depth, and have been observed by divers at offshore seamounts. In Bermuda they can be seen cruising over sandy bottoms in inshore bays and on the reef platform in sandy areas. In the Western Atlantic they are found from Virginia south to Brazil, and throughout the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Eagle Rays are native to Bermuda and appear to be resident year-round. Locally, this species is often referred to as the “Whip Moray”. The Spotted Eagle Ray is the only ray commonly seen in Bermuda.
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