The stingray is a large, flat fish that can grow to over two meters in length and weigh up to 600 kilograms. Stingrays are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world, often near coral reefs. The stingray’s most distinctive feature is its long, whip-like tail that has one or more sharp spines on the end. These spines are used for self-defense and can deliver a painful sting if the animal is disturbed or handled carelessly.
Stingrays are related to sharks and other cartilaginous fishes. Like sharks, their skeleton is made of tough but flexible connective tissue rather than bone. This gives them a lightweight body that is well-suited for swimming through water with little effort. The stingray’s flattened body shape also helps it to blend in with the sandy bottom of the ocean floor where it often lies buried in sediment, waiting to ambush small prey animals that swim by unaware.
When hunting, stingrays will sometimes use their tails to herd groups of fish into an area where they can be easily captured. Once their prey is within range, the stingray will open its mouth wide and sweep it across the sand towards itself, sucking up anything edible in its path. This method of feeding leaves telltale grooves in the sand known as “stingray tracks”.
While most stingrays feed on small invertebrates such as shrimp, crabs, and mollusks, some species have been known to attack larger prey items such as turtles and even dolphins. In these cases, the stingray will use its barbed tail spine to wound its victim and then follow after it as it bleeds out into the water column where other predators can finish it off. As large predators themselves, however, stingrays must be constantly on guard against being eaten by sharks or other carnivorous fish species.