Details
Aetobatus narinari
The spotted eagle ray glides on broad spotted wings over reefs and sand. It travels alone or in loose groups and crushes shellfish and crustaceans.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It uses reefs, sandy bottoms, and open coastal waters across the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Indian Ocean. Individuals move from shallows to more exposed seaward areas.
Length 120-300 cm; weight 50 kg-230 kg. The dark back is scattered with white spots, the pectoral fins are winglike, and the tail is long. A beaklike head helps probe the bottom.
Diurnal and loosely gregarious, it swims with a winglike beat of the pectoral fins. It may leap clear of the surface.
A carnivore, it eats clams, snails, crabs, and shrimps. Strong dental plates crush hard shells.
Females give birth to a small number of well-developed young. Slow growth and reproduction make the species sensitive to capture.
It is listed as Endangered, with fishing pressure and coastal habitat change weighing heavily on populations.
